Inheritance
by TalionStormcrow
Summary: With the threat of the flood gone, the herd has to find a new place. Not long into their adventure however, they're introduced to a duo comprised of a weasel named Desmond, and a carefree scimitar cat named Daxter, who are attempting to reunite Dax with his pack. Mentions blood, violence and sexual references.
1. The Aftermath (Ch1) Pt 1

**Finally got around to this. It took me a while since I didn't really have the inspiration to write for a not, but I managed. Enjoy!**

 _Chapter 1_ : " _The Aftermath"_

 **Part I**

It's been three days since Dax had eaten. Or was it four? The young scimitar wasn't sure anymore. Three to four days; definitely too long. After the flood swept over the valley the vultures had settled in to claim the victims. Several lifeless, bloated bodies lay strewn across the geyser field and throughout the now emptied land. It had been 2 days since the incident, and Dax had never once stopped to consider the possibility that this "boat" the crazy vulture had talked about even existed. No, he was ready for the end. Ready to face what lay ahead.

In front of him lay a scene of disarray. Several animals were still in mourning, shocked and traumatised from the ordeal. Some were lying beside their lost loved ones, not bothering to get up or move as they let loose stifled cries. Dax turned his gaze to one, a female sabertooth tiger sprawled across the still wet ground with several cubs, probably only a few months old. She was leaking blood out of her nostrils and her rib cage bent inwards, crushed by something during the chaos. The male standing over her wasn't much older, wailing sorrowfully at her corpse. His right shoulder had considerable gouges trailing down to his chest which were still bleeding, and scars that traced the right side of his orange, furred face. He was skinny for a saber, and it seemed as though he too hadn't eaten for a while, most likely out of depression. Dax stopped for a moment, facing the male just for a second. He couldn't seem to place it, but the male had triggered a memory inside of his head. A loved one perhaps? Despite his attempt to do so he found himself unable to break away from the despaired animal, captivated by it. After a moment of contemplation he had come to the conclusion that this animal was probably going to die as well.

"Hey," a voice said from ahead of him. His eyes were redirected to the direction of the word, drawn out of his musing. The voice, deep with a warm softness about it, came from the animal leading him along. It was a weasel, his back adorning grey, short fur. The weasel turned, facing Dax with his bright blue eyes locking onto his multicolored irises. His chest fur was a dull white, stained with dirt and some blood he had acquired from attempting to aid other animals when the water had receded. Dax pondered whether he cared it was still there.

"Are you coming? We're leaving this place, Dax. We've done what we could, leave the rest to Mother Nature." His voice was monotone, almost emotionless. Especially the last part spoken.

"Yeah, yeah I'm coming." Dax said. He bounded up beside his weasel companion, glancing at the smaller animals weary gaze. It wasn't hard to figure out he was tired.

"Desmond, what are we gonna do? Everything's been washed away."

The weasel let out a soft sigh, taking in the words of the young scimitar. He lifted his head, looking at the towering walls of ice that lined up, separating only to create a crevasse that drained the water to wherever. It didn't matter now, it was over. They had survived, they're still alive. THAT'S what matters.

Nothing more.

His ear twitched, forcing his gaze to his right side. There, in a small ditch was another casualty, a deer standing over what he presumed to be her mate. He could only hear small whines coming from the herbivore, all the while the occasional soft "Oh, why.." escaped her mouth.

Desmond made an attempt to block out her cries. What mattered to him was that they lived. Everything else was beyond his control. At least, that's what he thought. He had done as he promised; he kept Dax alive. Not an easy feat, but accomplished nonetheless.

Desmond halted his steps for but a moment, Dax stopping beside him. They were close to the outside. Everything beyond the ice wall could either be ruin, or their personal Paradise. Whatever lay ahead, their next step would be formed. Trees were strewn across the ground, crumpled and twisted abnormally from the weight of the water that beared itself down on them so rapidly just days ago. How was it that despite these giants falling victim to something they drink, beings less than a third of the size prevailed in it's wake? What made them so special?

"We should keep moving, Des. The vultures are getting bad out here. The deer are being ravaged." Desmond noted the scimitars' worried expression sprawled across his face as he said this. His eyes spoke the truth, it was becoming a murder scene out here. Scavengers were going to engage in a repulsive feast here pretty soon. All those who had decided to live already left.

This was a place to die, now.

Desmond shook his head. "Why don't you feed on something the just passed here, Dax. You can't just go without eating." He pointed towards a body, hoping to entice Dax into getting some food in him.

"It wouldn't be right.." Dax simply stated. His response caused Desmond to groan in frustration. Although he was right, now was not the time to debate over morals. It was easy for Desmond, some fruit and meat was all he needed. It was hard not to think about, but he would feast off of the recently dead, though only the ones who weren't being mourned. He didn't need much, but he understood Dax's internal struggle.

With a stern huff Desmond walked over to a carve carcass and tore some meat off of it. Dax watched, a frown came upon his face as he did this. With a couple steps Desmond was back and holding the bloody meat.

"Eat it." He said, bringing the meat closer to Dax's unwavering expression.

"No, I'll hunt when we're out of here." Dax retorted.

"With what energy, Dax? You're gonna exhaust yourself when you can just regain your strength here. We've been through something awful, but now is not the time for arguing." Desmond could tell that Dax was partially offended by the gesture, unwilling to even smell the meat in his hand.

"I'll eat.. When we get out of here," This time anger came out of these words. "And I don't need you to baby me about it." Dax shuffled a bit as he said this, feeling uneasy about the ordeal.

"Then go hungry." Desmond said sharply as he cast aside the meat in his paw. It landed a few feet away with a wet splash. Dax watched it go, only to turn his eyes back to the weasel, who was now walking away in silence. It was obvious talking to him now was not an option, so Dax decided to let him be. To his right, just down the small hill, the scent of fresh kill had filled Dax's nose. The smell of blood was putrid, making his nose burn slightly. It was a mammoth, a child to be specific. Daxter frowned at the sight, it's mother was either dead or moved on like the rest, leaving the dead to wither into a fading memory. He shuffled slightly, debating against himself. His stomach was telling him yes, but his conscience no.

He followed his stomach. Padding over to the carcass, the smell intensified until it was all he _could_ smell. The child's eyes bulged with glassy, hollow irises that were glued straight ahead. It's mouth was open, exposing a row of broken teeth. Dax stirred the tiniest bit, and made quick his decision to begrudgingly eat this fallen being.

He didn't enjoy it, but his stomach was full. Desmond was right, though he wouldn't tell him that. He didn't need to. Perturbed by the scene, he quietly made his way back to the weasel, cleaning his bloodstained lips and occasionally stopping to clean his paws. It was at this moment that the silence between them was once again broken.

Desmond turned to his companion, who was busy cleaning himself.

"I know," he began. "It sucks. But we have to keep our energy up for the days to come. Who knows what's beyond this valley. We have to be prepared for what we're gonna face, Dax."

The youngling sighed heavily, staring not at Desmond, but the ice walls. "Can we just get out of here?"

Desmond realized that his mind was already preoccupied with something else, judging by the half glazed look in his eyes. In an affectionate display, Des licked his paw and attempted to smear off some blood on Dax's left cheek where he was having trouble cleaning it off.

He decided to confront the issue, "I know you want to find your sister, Dax. We will."

At this, the scimitar sprung to life. He lifted his gaze up to meet his multicolored eyes with Desmond's. His mood had been lifted, made clear by the soft smile that creeped across his face with sincerity.

Una… Dax's only sister. His memory of her was fond despite it's briefness. He remembered her voice, soft but stern when needed. Her eyes, and her face… he remembered the day they left to swim in the lake just a few hundred yards away from the pack, much to their fathers disapproval. It was the only time they would have alone, and considering that he was the only one she trusted, it was well worth her time spent.

Then he remembered what she said...

"Dax." Desmond's voice rang through his ears, forcing him back to reality. A small tug on his chin brought those eyes back into focus.

"You good?" Desmond asked. He tapped Dax's shoulder, a small sign of affection and affirmation. The scimitars' paws extended absentmindedly through the dirt, and he let out a breath of relief, one that seemed to be held in forever.

"Do you think… do you think she's alive, Des?" The thought almost made him tear up. He blinked, sending the forbidden water back from where it came from. He watched the weasel stop dead in his tracks, his ear twitched with thought.

"I can't say. We won't know until we find her. But you should be prepared for the worst, my friend." He said, pausing to take a breath, "I won't give you false hope. The best we can do is look. We agreed to go back and find your pack. I don't like it given the circumstances-"

"I'm glad you're coming. I couldn't do it without you, Desmond." Dax said quickly, a smirk rising across his face.

Desmond placed a paw on his friend's shoulder. "We're in this together. It's the least I could do." At this he smiled, and then started his way towards the exit, leaving Dax to watch his steps for a bit before following behind.

 _It's the least I could do…_ the words hit him like stone. That was his go to thing. As if Desmond owed Dax for something… As if he felt in debt. For what, Dax hadn't been able to find out because if he ever brought it up Desmond would just smile and brush it off like nothing. But it wasn't NOTHING. Far from it.

As if the weight of debt were to be placed on _his_ shoulders, there was no reason for it. After all, whenever Dax needed his help, Des was always there to give it. It was love, that much he could tell. From a weasel, nonetheless. Des was special, at least to Dax, because instead of seeing the cat as a potential threat like others would have perceived, Desmond saw something else. He saw a chance.

 _Desmond raised me.._ he thought to himself. _Like a father.._ the thought was almost surreal. An herbivore, raising a carnivore. What a tale that would be to tell. As if anyone would believe it.

"I _will_ leave you behind, don't tempt me." Desmond snickered, causing Dax to once again smile. It seemed at this point that's all Des was trying to do was make him smile. It was the only way to keep hope alive.

Up ahead, the clouds began to part, causing bright streams of light to burst through. It exploded across the ground, brightening the way. Desmond heard the sound of Dax's paws approaching, to which he too began to walk the path again. He hopped across a puddle, barely making it to the other side as he heard a small splash from the back of his feet.

At the sound of a chuckle, Desmond lowered his gaze to a body, a scimitars' that was still breathing, at the bottom of a small hill. It was still semi submerged in a couple inches of water, and seemed to be dying. Several buzzards and vultures were swarming, awaiting for this pitiful creature to die, apparently. One of the vultures swooped down to meet the animal until it landed. Ruffling it's long, black feathers, the vulture creeped along the body, surveying its victim.

"Still alive?" It said.

Desmond could hear the cat groan painfully. Then, it spat out blood. He then turned away from the overbearing scavenger.

"Not willing to talk?"

"Screw you." The scimitar spoke. The words cut through the air.

"Mm, still some ssspirit in this one… do tell me, are you afraid to die?" The vulture teased it's prey, pecking at its paws and causing the animal to swipe weakly at it.

"If you're going to kill me, then do it now. I'd like to see my mate." He growled out, only to cough out blood mixed with phlegm. He took several ragged breaths, labored and sporadic. His end was near.

The vulture placed his claw on the creature's neck. "If I do, will you promise me something?"

"Want me to kiss ya before I die?" The fallen animal asked sharply. It was a very sarcastic tone. The vulture spread it's wings and laughed heartily before digging its claw into his neck, drawing blood.

"How cute, but no. Everybody dies sometime, mate." Several gurgling noises could be heard coming from the scimitar as the vulture pressed down into his neck, suffocating him. Blood poured out of the wounds he made, and the animal himself began to stir, vainly attempting to struggle for his own life. it continued for mere moments before all became still.

"Don't be disappointed if you find nothing on the other side." The vulture said as he ate.

 **I**

Diego's eyes scanned the horizon surrounding his sight atop a small hill. After the meltdown, Manny had plans to join the mammoth herd with Ellie, leaving Sid and Diego to do their own thing. It hurt to think about in the moment, but Diego had wished him the best. He deserved it, after all. Someplace in his heart sorrow had swelled at the thought of them never seeing each other again, but it was quickly replaced when he found out that the two newlyweds had changed their minds. Now it was the six of them.

The next step was to find a bearing. Where were they to go?

"We should head north." Manny spoke up. His voice hinted at worry. Ellie was busy watching the to possums attempt to perform a stunt involving the use of their tails as they see who would hold them in the mouth of a Venus Flytrap the longest. She shook her head, half ready to snatch them before they hurt themselves and half curious to see what would happen.

"Why, what's North?" Sid asked, waddling up to his saber friend.

"Anything is better than this open field we're currently inhabiting. We're a walking feast out here." Manny retorted.

Diego agreed silently. Ahead there wasn't much vegetation other than grass. Trees were few and far for miles. It was open territory, and very advantageous territory for ambush predators like himself. His primary worry was just that… More sabers.

"We don't need to worry about that, we have Diego!" Crash had exclaimed while pinning his brother down.

"Yeah? Not if there's a pack of them, stupid!" Eddie said, slapping Crash in the jaw and kicking him off. Eddie landed a few feet away with a loud "oof!", quickly recovering and ready for another attack by his brother in their play fight.

Ellie looked at the saber. She hated to admit it, but her brother was right. One or two sabers were easy to fight off. But a pack?

"How many were in your pack, Diego?" Sid asked casually, not really paying attention to the sensitivity of the subject. Diego growled low at the question asked, thinking of ways to switch the topic without seeming agitated by the thought of his past history being brought up

Manny noticed the tigers apprehension, and stepped in to redirect the attention off of him. "Eddie is right. The fact of the matter is we're vulnerable out here. We should make our decision quickly and get moving. Daylight won't last forever."

"We go west!" Eddie pointed east and stood with his chest puffed out. A lot of intention went into that, it seemed.

"That's east, you idiot." Crash spoke.

"Well, look who's gonna replace "Uber Tracker" over there. Alright genius, which way is South?"

"That way." Crash pointed towards a distant patch of pine trees spread through several acres of land that bordered off of a mountain range. The sun's rays danced around at the discretion of the wandering cloudburst creeping across the land. Before Crash could say anymore, he was cut off by Eddie pouncing on him, and the two once again began a round of slap fighting.

Diego turned his gaze to the bottom of the plateau, a couple hundred yards away toward a patch of tall grass guested by two large rock formations jutting out of the Earth. A faint bellow sounded out from that general area, heard only by his ears due to everyone else deafened by the brothers' fight. He zoned in on the second rock, slightly larger than the first with a sharp point directed threateningly towards the sky. In that area, a very large Megaloceros grazed on the grass, complacent to the distant predator.

Everything became distant to him as he watched the animal eat. He wasn't interested in hunting at the moment, he was just observing. The landscape wasn't very dense with vegetation, so this can't be it's home. He was probably just passing through. The extensive rack at the crest of it's head was massive, meaning this animal had very good genes, making him a good catch for a predator. Diego pondered this for a moment.

It was the only one here, at least that he could smell. He inhaled deeply, just to be sure of that fact and was reassured. This however did not mean the herd and this animal were the only existing entities within the vicinity, that was an absolute impossibility. There was, to be noted dutifully, no sign of any other living being in his sight, though these grounds were undoubtedly high traffic, the terrain told him through it's impacted state. Herds of deer, mammoths and sabertooth tigers travel through here, during migration and breeding season.

It was very dangerous territory.

Then, movement. Diego's eyes were forced back to the grazing mammal. It was marking it's territory, scraping it's horns crudely on the rock.

 _What an idiot..._ Diego thought to himself. Herbivores can be so naive.

A flick of its tail raised suspicion, and the Megaloceros raised its head, scanning its surroundings, confirming Diego's internal fear.

 _It's being hunted._

 **II**

Dax squinted a bit as he silently padded beside Desmond. The sun burst through the clouds as they began to break up. They had crossed through the ice wall, both in consensus on the idea of never returning. Now their path moved ever onward, with miles of grassland ahead of them. Patches of tall grass occupied small spaces spread throughout, and tracks were imprinted into the ground, put there by large masses of animal herds traveling through the area. Towering mountains observed the land below them, silently gazing downwards in solitude. The view made Dax feel small… VERY small.

"Well… Isn't that a sight to see." Desmond said as he paced ahead of the scimitar.

"Yeah, wide open spaces, and heavy traffic it seems." Desmond nodded in agreement.

Silence became of the two.

"So," Dax began with a smooth smirk forming, "Where to begin?" A slight breeze worked it's way through the land, brushing his fur slightly, ruffling the short mane on the back of his neck. Dax breathed in the fresh air, smelling the wet grass that swayed to and fro in unison with the wind. He exhaled, and noted a slightly earthy scent among the sweet odor. Inhaling once more it was confirmed that his senses did not receive him.

There were others.

"What is it?" Desmond inquired. Dax scanned the area, searching for the slightest movement. His eyes stood their ground, sentries prepared to alert the duo of any incoming threat. The role Dax played was important, he reigned superior in the realm of sensitive sight and hearing. While he wasn't fully grown, his ability to seek out danger had saved the two multiple times.

"I smell wolves. There's a pack nearby. And-" he sniffed the air again, new developments taking hold. Desmond stood in front of him, ready to take in the details and formulate the plan. Being the leader of the two he was always ready to get Dax out of the stickiest of situations, both literally and metaphorically. He'll never let Dax forget the time he got stuck in the tar pit…

Dax blinked, "Shall we?" He said with a snicker as he nudged the weasel forward, surprising him with the sudden gesture.

"Ready for adventure, are we? Come on then, princess." Desmond gripped a tuft of Dax's fur and jumped on to his back. Dax chuckled softly at the joke, and broke into a jog down the hill.

* **I***

Light broke into the forest in fragments, broken by the heavy forestry racing towards the sky. The summer wind was dry, but cooling to the skin. Dax inhaled sharply, feeling the hot air burn his mouth slightly as he exhaled, slightly winded by the intense run he just endured after chasing after Raj, his brother and, despite his denial, fathers favorite.

"You should be more careful, Dax! You almost got us killed! And now we're gonna get an earful from father!" Raj bellowed. He was slightly larger than Dax, orange furred with teal eyes and a temperament of a short-faced bear. He pushed up against Dax, frustrated with the cub's carelessness.

"Hey, I wouldn't have gotten caught if you just kept your mouth shut!" Dax retorted harshly.

"Are you kidding me? Since when are we allowed to just wander into a Dire Wolf den and steal bones off of their kill? That's literally the most irresponsible thing you've done!"

 _Typical…_ "Seriously, Raj. You're overreacting." Dax scratched his chest, smiling coyly as he knew he had gotten on his brothers nerves.

"Talking to you is like trying to communicate with an inanimate object, Dax."

"I suppose you'd have more friends if you started doing that."

"Oh you-" Raj swiped at Dax, missing his face by mere inches. With swift movement typical of the scimitars Dax pounced on Raj, knocking him on his left side with a hard thump and knocking a bit of air out of him.

"Not so tough now, huh?" He said. Raj growled and kicked at his hind legs, scratching Dax's belly in the process. Dax howled out in pain and jumped back, quickly assessing the wound.

"Bad move!" Raj yelled, and made another attack, this time sending a successful swipe at Dax, striking his jaw. His head snapped to the side, sending a small amount of blood spilled across the ground. Dax returned one of his own, stomping on Raj's paw while clamping his teeth down on his muzzle.

"Excellent move, Daxter!" A low voice called out to him. Another scimitars, an adult, slowly made his way to the two sparring cubs. Dax smiled, and while Raj turned his head to see who it was he jumped on his occupied opponent, this time pinning him to the ground.

"Raj!" The male bellowed, giving the defeated cub a glare. "Never turn away from your opponent. You disappoint me."

Raj lifted his gaze up to the male. He was large, with lean shoulders built for running. They were long, but not too thickly muscled. He sported three long slash marks traveling from his right ear down to his bottom left saber tooth. His right eye was completely dead, most likely the result of said marks. Like Dax, his fur was orange with a cream white underbelly. An older male, noted by the throaty voice that command respect.

"Uncle Art, he didn't fight fair.* Raj said.

Art shook his head, not willing to listen to the cubs complaining. "You'll never be an alpha with that attitude, Raj. If you can't learn to defend yourself from his attacks, then you will never win."

"What's going on here, Art?" Another male padded up to the older one. He was slightly slender in his build, but no less deadly.

"Raj just got his butt whooped by Dax here. I was watching the fight from the pine over there" he pointed to a tree a couple feet away.

"He stomped on my foot, Locke. It really hurt!"

"Hmph.. Not much of a fight then, eh? Una could probably do better." Locke clicked his tongue. "Art, go report to Jack. He's got a task for you."

"Oh is that so? When does he not?" Art rolled his eyes, annoyed with the message. Jack was his alpha, but being the lieutenant of said alpha didn't seem to come with much of a payoff. He didn't have much time to himself, so any second he could get was treasured..

"The pack needs you to lead them on this scouting mission, Art. I know it'll be another couple of days without your mate, but don't worry. When the season comes around which, just so you know, is tomorrow, I'll be sure to keep her company."

"You keep talking like that I'll make sure you won't be able to create nothing but the sounds of gurgling on your own blood, Locke. We all know you aren't into women anyway." Art smirked, with a couple of steps he turned to head back to the camp.

"Well with a gorgeous set of eyes- or should I say eye like that Arty I'd let you seduce me any day." Art turned and let out a low growl at the beta, the story about his eye obviously sensitive material.

"Watch what you say, Locke… Remember who you work for." Art bared his teeth at Locke for a second, hoping to scare the younger male into silence rather than continuing the vexatious game of one up between them. Locke watched him as he left, contemplating the words just spoken to him. He wasn't oblivious to the fact that the lieutenant was holding a grudge against the alpha, but it didn't seem like that grudge was worth holding on to.

He remembered the day well, it had started off with a hunt for a herd of mammoths in the area. Jack was leading the first group in an attempt to scare the adults into confusion while isolating the calves. Art was the leader of group two, which Locke was partied in. Everything was being handled well by the two, until Art had overclocked Jacks move into the herd. While it wasn't fatal, his error had forced the party to split up so that half could take care of the calves while Jack chased the adults away. His trust in Art had withered that day, though it wasn't entirely disreputable of him.

"Uncle Locke, what did Uncle Arty mean by that?" The small voice broke him out of the memory. Raj had finally been released and already working on another play fight with Noch, the third cub of the six. Locke glanced over to witness Raj attempt the same move Dax pulled, only to be embarrassingly countered by a single swipe to his face.

"Locke?" Dax pawed at his leg, once again regaining his attention.

Locke sighed heavily, "Yes, Dax?" Dax furrowed his brow, uneasy with the so easily distracted male.

"Why did Art say that?" Locke didn't look at the cub, but instead stared at the retreating male. Something about it had rubbed him the wrong way; why would Jack continue to trust him with these missions? Although Art was faster and stronger than Locke, the male wasn't the brightest when it came to tactics.

 _Remember who you work for…_ What _did_ Art mean by the statement? He worked for no one. He respected Jack. The guy practically saved his life when he was on the verge of death.

Locke took a second to regain his thoughts, and turned his attention to the small cub now attempting to subdue a moth.

"Dax, where were you today?" Locke inquired. The young cub sat on his haunches and smiled.

"I was exploring a Dire Wolf den." He said simply, as though it were a casual thing to do with his species.

Locke frowned, "Well that was very stupid of you. What were you doing there?"

Dax laughed heartily, the memory flooding through his head. "I took a bone from their kill, a souvenir of my adventure." He said, puffing out his chest, proud of his accomplishment.

Locke found himself smiling, no ounce of anger displayed. "You like to go on adventures?"

"Yeah! I wanna see the world! When I grow up, I'm gonna see it all, from the oceans to the mountains." Dax spoke excitedly, dreams of wondrous encounters swirled invitation inside of his mind. He didn't seem to care for the future of the pack. Locke couldn't blame him. It was all politics here. Playtime was reserved for the younglings, and even then it was a disguise to teach them the necessary skills required to survive on their own. Although Dax could handle himself it seemed, his carelessness would be his downfall.

"Well, I guess that's two things that make you different from the others, Dax." Locke said thoughtfully.

"What's that, Uncle Locke?"

"Not only are you a ghost in the eyes of your pack, but you're also the only one with spirit."

* **I***

 **Alright I think I'm gonna end the beginning there. Here's the beginning of my story, guys! Enjoy, read and review yada yada yada. Alright, time for next part of this chapter. My chapters are going to be a bit longer, so I'll have to think of a system to use to fix that. Maybe just label them? I don't know, I'll think of something.**


	2. Daxter Finds a Clue (Pt 2)

**Alright, part two of THE AFTERMATH is up. I'm actually glad I didn't junk this idea, it seems like once I expanded on things it got a little easier to write. It takes a bit, but I get it done :p. Alright, ENJOY!**

 _Chapter 1_ : " _The Aftermath"_

 **Part II**

 **III**

"You said it's being hunted?" Manny asked quietly, slightly hunched beside Diego in an attempt to remain hidden. Diego chuckled inwardly as he realized the awkwardness of an herbivore trying to spy on another herbivore, _with_ a meat eater.

"Yes. I don't know by what though." The saber's eyes scanned the surrounding area, but found nothing. Then, he realized it was because they didn't _want_ to be found.

 _They're hunting you idiot, stealth is key._ A low growl rang through the trees, and the Megaloceros bellowed. It stamped it feet into the ground, threatening any who dare come towards him. He lowered his horns till they in line with his body and swung them around lightly.

 _Scare tactics. Still, that's one big mammal._ It was true. Twice his size, it was. For a moment Diego contemplated the idea of a lone predator bent on taking down an animal that size. "It would make for a nice meal.."

"What?" Manny asked, slightly baffled at the random comment.

"I said there are wolves hunting this thing." Diego responded coolly. _Nice save…_

"Wolves? Where?" Sid squinted his eyes, trying to see what the saber had spotted. After seconds of trying in his usual lazy manner. The sloth spoke up. "I see nothing!"

Diego was surprised by the mammoths swiftness. He'd never seen reflexes so fast in his friend. With a quick turn the mammoth swung his trunk, striking the sloth across the head. A quiet but stern "Sssshhhh!" followed, and the sloth didn't speak another word.

"How do you know, Diego?" Ellie asked in a light toned whisper, unsure of what was going on entirely. She stood behind Manny, keeping her eyes behind them in case anything tried to ambush the group. Crash and Eddie stood on the tigers back, despite his disapproval.

 _How do you know, tough guy?_ He shook his head. He was sure. His intuition told him. Years of stalking, tracking and tailing have tightened his skills. He wasn't the best, this he was sure of. But if you were to ask him?

"I'm damn good." he said as he watched two wolves tread though the grass. They looked at each other, only about fifty feet, give or take from the animal, still undetected. With a quick nod, one of the wolves, a brown furred one with a good scar running down it's flank howled. The wolf to it's side was colored black, slimmer and longer than it's companion. Megaloceros flinched, startled from the sounds. As it turned to see the incoming predators, two more emerged from the left side, hopping over one of the rocks that was supposed to be guarding the newly deemed victim.

"We wait for them to leave. No doubt they've set it up to lead him away from this area." Diego murmured to himself. The chase had begun, with the buck making a quick and, to Diego's surprise wise decision to charge the two leading the hunt. His rear legs kicked out, jetting his powerful body several feet ahead before all legs were moving at full speed. He lowered his head as he got close and attempted to literally impale the wolves. The brown wolf, a bit stunned by the action, stumbled back and leaped to the side, barely missing the dangerous spear-like horns.

"Chase after him!" He heard the black one speak. It was clear by the sound of the voice that it was female. The two wolves in the rear kicked up their speed, with the other two right behind it. They turned right, then a sharp left, attempting to confuse the animal. The brown wolf made his way up to the prey's right side, and snapped his jaws at it. The buck, not frightened by the movement, swung its horns to the right. It was there that Diego saw the wolf make a fatal mistake. They scaled the hill and went over it, and as the buck swung the wolf attempted to bite into it's neck, but instead made a misstep and tripped, sending his body rolling into the ground. With a loud snap Diego heard the horn make contact with it's body, and a loud cry rang out into the plains as the wolf was sent reeling into a tree.

He saw no more. The wolves were gone, and whether they continued the chase or stopped was no longer his concern.

 **IV**

Dax smelled the air as he walked. With his ability to scent anything for miles, Dax was confident that his nose was better use than his eyes in this situation. This world was alive, and he realized rather quickly that he preferred the company of the living.

Desmond stood on his back, allowing his companion to do his thing. His feet swayed slightly as Dax's back muscles shifted along with his pace. Everything seemed calm, with the only sounds being the wind moaning softly against their ears. A slight chill ran down his spinefur, and he stepped forward until he was right below his ride's neck.

Dax perked his ears with interest. "What's wrong Desmond?"

"Nothing," the weasel spoke low, "It's just quiet out here." It was eerie, the silence. It had no voice, yet it spoke volumes. Desmond smiled, having come up with a thought in his head. He laid down so he was staring up to the sky, his body aligned with Dax"s neck. He placed his paws behind his head for a bit more cushion. Then he spoke.

"Do you know what I said to myself when I first saw you?"

Dax smirked, eager to know. "I'm guessing it wasn't how cute I looked."

"Hm, well.. no, not really. When I first saw you come into the clearing, I was telling myself how many ways I could kill you at the moment."

Dax frowned, "Because I was a predator?" His voice told Des that the comment upset him.

"No."

"Because I was a threat?"

"No."

Dax shook his head, tired of the guessing game. "Are you going to tell me why?"

"It was because I didn't think I could raise you. When my mate died she was pregnant, and actually having the baby. It was unexpected, but I did what I could to help her." Dax heard Desmond sigh, but didn't speak a word.

"There was a complication during the delivery. She started to bleed profusely, the baby had come out, but she didn't stop bleeding." Another pause, and Dax was considering at this point trying to change the subject.

"It was stillborn. She ended up bleeding out, asking if it was okay. I didn't tell her."

"Why not?" asked Dax.

"I don't know, better for her to die not knowing, I suppose. She kept her eyes on me, too afraid to look at the mess, or maybe she just wanted her last second memory to be of me. Either way, I didn't leave her side, and when she passed I buried her." Dax pushed the image out of his head, focusing instead on the road ahead of him.

"I didn't think I would ever have the heart to even look at a child. For days I stayed awake thinking about how I could've helped her more. I know there wasn't anything I could do, but I guess that's just survivor's guilt. Then you came along. I thought you were going to die, so I ignored you, but you just wouldn't let up. You were too innocent. So I took you in."

"And now you're stuck with me." Dax spoke up, pulling Desmond out of the memory. He had talked briefly about his wife before, but never with this much detail. Desmond chuckled lightly at the comment, appreciative of the scimitars empathy.

"Yeah, now I'm stuck with you. I suppose it could be worse."

Dax raised an eyebrow, "Oh yeah, how's that?"

"I could be stuck alone." Dax's smile once again faded. The two once again traveled in silence. Dax sniffed the air again, and stopped abruptly.

"What is it?" Desmond asked as he got back on his feet.

Dax shook his head. The pack of wolves.. They're nearby. I smell them." He sniffed again, turning his head to the left. "This way." He bounded along the grass towards a bush, and lowered himself down. In the clearing were two wolves, one of them was a brown furred male. His body was thickly built with green eyes. He was accompanied by a black wolf, slimmer and sporting a scar on her rear leg.

"Let's hope Katia does her job. You always put those two together, you know all they do is goof off. If you ask me they should just mate and get it over with." The black one said.

"And I s'pose you'll be the one to set that up, mate? Admit it, you wish you 'ad Sin. 'e's a good huntah with an excahllent personality." The brown wolf spoke sarcastically, sending a devious smirk towards his companion.

"Nah, I couldn't deal with his smell." The brown one let out a suppressed laugh.

"C'mon, let's do this." he raised his head and howled, signaling others to begin the chase. Within seconds the two were watching the pack of wolves attempt to take down the buck. As they left, Dax emerged from the bush with Desmond beside them, and the two decided to leave. Dax set a quick pace towards the hill, watching the wolves head towards it as well. They would go east while the wolves traveled west.

"Well that was interesting, I-"

The two were cut off, surprised by a loud cry tearing through the silence. Within seconds Dax had made the decision to follow it. Des grabbed his mane, using it to steady himself as Dax ran full speed towards the sounds.

In seconds they reached the source, finding the brown wolf sprawled out on the ground and crying out in pain. Desmond jumped off of his friend and assessed the situation. Here, in front of them was an injured predator. He could help it, give it aid and, should it live have to deal with the thought of it turning around and kill them without second thought.

"Are you going to help him?" Dax inquired.

Desmond took a step forward, "Can you hear me?" he asked the wolf. It lifted it's head and responded with a nod, it's cries now moans. Des knew that the adrenaline rushing through his body would wear down soon enough, and when it did he would be feeling it a whole lot more. He walked towards the beast, placing his paws on the animal, feeling the wound. He ran his paw along the gash on his flank, covering it with blood as it leaked from the wound. It would bleed out in days, yes, but it would be infected before then.

"You're jus' gonna help me?" Asked the wolf. He groaned as Desmond applied a bit of pressure on the wound.

"Do you want to live?" The weasel asked hurriedly.

"I dun see why no'.

Dax walked up to the wounded wolf, "What can I do?" He asked Desmond. Desmond simply grabbed his paw and placed it on the wound.

"Apply pressure, keep your paws where it's bleeding the most." He ordered as he began searching for herbs. He headed for a nearby tree towards the bottom of the hill. It was an apple tree, blooming all by itself. Under a patch of some broken sticks he stepped in a sticky substance, very viscous and pale in color. He looked up, trying to find where the source of this substance was. Up in the tree, a bees nest was nestled in between two branches, overtaking them. Honey dripped on the ground, a couple droplets landing on his face.

"That'll work." he said to himself. Thanking his species for their ability to climb, he swiftly scaled the tree, coming face to face with several large, easy to anger bees guarding the nest. He didn't need very much, just enough to cover the wound after Dax licked it clean, which he was sure he could convince him to do easily enough. _Predators love the taste of blood, don't they?_

 **V**

Desmond held the small patch of honey in his paws, it was slimy and slightly solid. He broke a piece of it off and tasted it, savoring the sweet smell of the substance.

"Alright, back to work."

 **VI**

"Daxter. Move your paws." Desmond panted as he hurried over to the wound. Blood had started to pool around the leg, the wound was deeper than he thought.

"Alright, lick the wound." He said, pointing towards the leg.

Dax recoiled, disgusted. "I'm not licking that! He's a mangy mutt!"

"'EY, why dontcha watch ya words, mate, I'm not harassing you 'bout ya looks, walk on off insteda insultin' meh!" The wolf snapped back. Desmond smiled, amused by the response.

"He showed you. Do it."

Dax cringed, woeful of whatever untasteful things were stuck in this dog's fur. Placing his paws strategically so that they were straddling the wound, he began to do what he was told. His mouth became overwhelmed by the taste of blood as he cleaned the wound, it was sour and mixed with dirt. Not exactly what he was expecting, but he continued nonetheless.

"Where's your pack?" Desmond knew the answer, but decided to ask anyway just to stay a conversation. He motioned for Dax to step away from the wound, bringing the honey beside him as he kneeled down to inspect it.

"Oh, they arn't too fah away, mate. They're hidin' 'n the grass, waiting to kill ya shouldja decide to hurt meh." It was unsettling to Dax the way he said it. So casual, like it was just another day in his life.

"The black one, is she-"

"Mah mate. Yes, she is."

"Any pups?" Desmond asked.

"Once. Two boys 'n one girl, though she seemed more like a male then the boys." Desmond chuckled with the wolf, thinking of how many reasons that could be in his head. He broke the honeycomb over the wound, causing the substance to spill over it. The wolf sighed in relief, feeling the pain lessen in only a few moments.

"Flood got to 'em. Went overboard moments after it launched into the water. I hope they passed re' quick. Horrible wa' t' go." Desmond frowned, understanding of the sorrow he saw in the wolf's eyes as he spoke.

"I forgot your name." He said.

"Aye, that's cuz I never gave it to ya."

"Are you going to?" He looked at the wolf, and the wolf looked back at him.

"Boone. Call me Boone, mate. Mah real name's Miles."

Desmond nodded, "Well Boone, have you ever heard of safety first? Did you just let whatever you were hunting skewer you or did you lose a bet with it?"

Boone snarled at him, offended by the comment. "Aye was huntin', mate but I wouldn't do this on purpose!"

"I was kidding." Des spoke as he finished rubbing honey along the wound. "Your leg will be fine. Just try not to do anything risky for a while."

"He's right, Boone." Another voice spoke up. Emerging from the tall grass at their right flank was the black wolf. She padded up to Boone and nuzzled him affectionately before turning her attention to the two. "My name is Alice, and this is my bumbling husband."

"Someone is in fo' a rough night." Boone growled. Alice smirked at the bold comment, however inappropriate it was.

"I'm Dax, and this is-"

"Desmond. I know. He was on the boat with me." Alice let a small smile sweep through before it quickly faded.

"Wait.. ya two survived the flood?" Boone asked, groaning as he posted himself back onto all fours delicately. Alice assisted using her flank as a hoist for his own body.

"Yeah, we were towards the front, where were you?" Dax responded, taking his place by Desmond's side. The weasel placed a paw on his shoulder, softly gripping the fur as he always did.

"I was towd's the bahk, mate. Alice 'n I were separated, after some o' my pack members went overboard. I still remember.." Boone lowered his ears sorrowfully, the memory flooding through him. "We ah the only fo' remaining members, which.." he turned his head behind him.

"Leon!"

"Katia!"

Two other wolves emerged from the grass one was a male, taller and slightly slimmer than Boone, with blue eyes beaming from his sockets. The other wolf was female, also a brown and grey coat. She smiled as they approached.

"Whatevah unspeakable thing you were doin' in those bushes-"

"Not now, Boone." Alice interjected rather harshly towards him. It was clear her intensity was what earned her place beside him. She glared over at the two wolves, then promptly returned her attention to Dax.

"You're traveling with him?" She asked softly, the change of tone coming as a surprise to the scimitar.

"Yes. We left the valley trying to find my sister, Una." At this, Alice perked her ears up, interested in the name. Her reaction sparked hope in Dax. Desmond, noticing the exchange of body language, took a step forward, meeting the wolf's eyes.

"You know where she is, don't you." It wasn't a question, it was a statement of acknowledgement.

Alice stood there, contemplating her next move.

"Where is she, Alice?" Desmond repeated, a more stern tone had ushered itself out of his voice, realizing the heaviness of the newfound information just released to them. Daxter stood behind him, frozen out of anticipation of the response.

"To the west." She breathed out with a sigh, "They hold territory before those mountains. I've met her once before while we were out hunting. It's not _too_ far from here, but it's quite the walk." She sat on her haunches, receiving a loving lick from Boone as she spoke.

Dax didn't waste his time asking the question that was digging around his head. "Who's leading the pack?"

Desmond gave the scimitar a passing glare. Now he wants to go find the entire pack? They'll both be made lunch for sure! _If they don't recognize him, we're dead._

"We couldn't tell ya, mate. None o' us were really concern'd 'bout it after they chased us out.."

"If you weren't there long, how did you know it was Una that you saw?"

Katia made her advance on the trio, quietly padding up to Alice's flank. "Slender body, blue eyes and silver pelt?"

That's her." Dax said.

"We know now," Alice spoke softly. "They're ruthless, they chased us outside of their territory zone. We had no clue it was theirs, but now we can't catch a break from them. They've expanded towards Black Tooth Falls, fifty miles from here."

"Give a' take." Said Boone.

Leon was the one who spoke up this time, "If they don't kill you when you wander into their territory, can you tell the large one that I still caught that Bambi he was chasing?" He chuckled, "Stupid cats.."

"Leon, bettah shut ya yap befo' I do it fo' ya."

Leon, growled low at the threat, "Good luck, kid."

"The falls are straight ahead. Follow your bearing for fifty miles-"

"Give or take." Leon repeated.

"Thank you...Leon.." she murmured harshly through gritted teeth. Rolling her eyes, she cleared her throat and spoke again. "Fifty miles- GIVE OR TAKE…" She paused, seeing Leon start to open his mouth. He shrugged, putting his paws up in defense.

"Don't worry, mate. Once ya find the tree mahkings you'll get an idea of where ta go." Boone smiled at the cub, reassuring him.

"Thank you, Boone. We owe you one." Dax said as Desmond climbed on his back. He started to leave, a new spark in his step. He knows where to look now, and his hope of her being alive was all the more reinforced by the new discovery. Assuming of course that the wolves told him the truth..

"Nah, mate.. I owe _you_ one. Shouldja need meh, look fo' our territory ten miles north o' 'ere. If ya see a very large black rock then yer in the right spot."

 **VIII**

"Diego, we should leave." Manny spoke hurriedly as he watched the wolves draw away the animal from the rocks. They chased it up over the hill and disappeared, no longer visible to them. That was the sign the saber was looking for apparently as he grinned at Manny.

"Ladies first."

Manny snickered, "You're the Uber Tracker. You get in front." Diego began to make his way down the ledge, occasionally sniffing the air. Eddie and Crash scurried onto their sister's tusks.

"Hey Ellie, I've been thinking.."

"Don't listen to him when he says that, bad things happen." Manny piped up.

"Shut up, Manny." Ellie retorted. She turned back to Sid "Yes, Sid. I know what you're going to say. I'll give you a ride."

Sid let out an excited "YES!" before climbing onto Ellie's back. She hurried up and started pacing behind Diego, beside Manny. Diego glanced over at the hill, half expecting the wolves to come back.

"Hey, you alright?" Manny asked.

Diego shook his head slightly, returning his gaze to the west. The heavy forestry would make for good cover. In truth he was very worried, the plains served as killing grounds for ill placed mammals. Despite Diego having the ability to detect things better than anybody else in the herd, it wouldn't do much good would they run into a pack like the one he just saw.

"That looked pretty bad, do you think he's okay?" Ellie spoke up.

Diego shook his head, "I don't care. It's not our problem, Ellie." He said with unintended harshness, and gave a clear message he wasn't in the mood to talk.

Manny knew why. "It's been awhile, hasn't it, since you've seen another pack." Diego's ears folded, giving Manny all that he needed to know. Diego wasn't one to outwardly display his emotions, being the kind of tough guy he's always expected to be in his pack it was still the monkey on his back.

Diego flicked his ear, tentative to the mammoths attempt at reaching out to him. It was both a curse and a blessing. Manny always knew when Diego was stewing, or just generally moody.

"I don't really enjoy thinking about it, but the thought just kind of brings itself up." Diego shrugged as he spoke, disconnected from his surroundings it seemed. He was wrapped up in this.

"We forgive you, Diego. What happened before doesn't matter anymore." Manny's tone gave him hints of underlying comfort. It was as if he just _knew_ where the tigers thoughts were heading. It was plain to see to the mammoth that Diego had this grudge he held against himself. His internal struggle with his decisions ate at him silently despite their unrelenting exoneration.

 _That's what you do in a herd._

"What matters is now, Diego. You're here with us, and we're glad to have you."

A small smile formed itself along the corner of Diego's mouth, taking in the words spoken to him. In his own mind, the tiger had questioned before his place in the herd, whether or not the two actually _trusted_ him. It was a matter of need in reality. To him, the idea of being needed was more important than anything else. It was something he questioned in his pack, and still questions within the herd at times.

"Don't worry," Manny whispered as he walked beside the musing tiger, giving him a small nudge with his trunk. "I won't tell Sid that you actually know how to smile."

"Thanks, Manny." Diego said with a chuckle that he tried to hide under his breath.

Above, clouds began to sweep in, warning all of their presence with a threatening cold chill running through the land. The light faded, swallowed by the grey shadow draining some of the vividness out of the trees as it advanced.

"So where are we gonna go, Manny?" Sid asked.

"We're going wherever we want to, unless you have a specific spot." Manny called back to him sarcastically. Sid scrunched his face, none of them have ever taken him seriously..

"Well we could just do that… But you did just see those scary wolves, right? I mean there's bound to be more of them." He added.

"Sid if we run into anything I'm very certain that we can use your stench to our advantage."

"I don't stink!"

"Yes you do!" Both Manny and Diego exclaimed in unison.

"Dude, you smell worse than I do!" Eddie exclaimed with pride. Crash was suddenly fuming with competitive impulse, and challenged him.

"You wanna bet?"

"The one that smells the worst gets dibs on the first mud hole!"

"I'll have you know that sloths are attracted to the smell of a male! The stronger the better." Sid retorted as he crossed his arms, confident in his point of view on the subject.

"That is literally the most insane thing you've said so far, Sid." Manny scratched the top of his head. "This can't even be a real conversation we're having."

"I beg to differ." Ellie butted in, deciding that playing devil's advocate would be better suited in her position.

"Yeah, you _do_ remember the conversation we had about him starting a camp for those children.."

Manny shook his head. This was going to be a long trip..

 **IX**

"They were a pretty odd bunch, don't you think?"

Daxter shrugged, smiling. The wolves had departed, heading back towards their own land. Only a few days after the flood and they had already settled in, an impressive feat considering their numbers were very few. Boone had expressed much gratitude for Desmond's actions, granting them access to their hunting grounds and befriending the wolves. And if the prey were anything like that megaloceros… he'd surely be back.

"So I guess we're just gonna be heading straight the entire way then?" Dax wondered that very same thing. They were heading into the forest, and his senses were heightened to alert them of anything coming within range.

After a few moments, Dax decided that things had become too silent. He ran through his head several ideas to pass the time. He was one to isolate himself to his thoughts, allowing his worries and insecurities to roll over him. Desmond always told him it was just part of the process, his path to becoming an adult, and would bring into the topic a light hearted joke or two just to bring his spirits up.

With a smirk, Dax found the perfect idea.

"Oh… We're going on an adventure.. Don't know where we'll go." He started to sing.

Already realizing where this was going, Desmond brought his own lyrics into play.

"And yet it seems we're going pretty slow.."

"With a quiet step-"

"My palms wet with sweat"

"We may just make it to Una-"

"NOT YET!" Desmond yelled as he jumped off of Daxter and dashed towards a nearby bush. The sounds of him sighing in relief caused the tiger to chuckle lightly. Then, with a breath he continued the jocose melody.

"So he dove into the bushes-"

"Either the bush or you"

"He marked the bush as his own"

"It got all over too"

"And then he dove out of the bushes!"

"Slaying everything in his path!"

"Mounted his trusty steed-"

"Wouldn't call you a steed-"

"And with a *WHIP* they made their way!" Dax shouted as he sprinted towards the trees. After a while he had slowed himself down to a trot to catch his breath, panting with rapid, sharp inhalations that caused his chest and shoulders to expand with explosive force.

Desmond was always impressed with the endurance of the tiger. His ability to run for several miles gave the two an upper hand against predators. His memory had noted a certain case in particular where Daxter had frightened a saber during mating season. While out looking for females he had failed to notice the two, obviously overtaken by the pheromones. They were hiding in some dense foliage when Daxter sneezed with unnecessary loudness, causing the male to leap into fight mode (not before letting loose a stream of urine, of course.) THATwas a close call, and ended with the two outrunning the very moody saber. Desmond wasn't sure if after the little scare he had actually found a mate that season.

A large gap between the trees marked their entrance into the forest. Dax slowed his pace to a walk now, slight breaths now the only thing they could hear. The trees bent and swayed, oddly formed and neatly placed in a natural row that clearly lined their path. A slight chill ran down Dax's spine, accompanied by a shiver which Desmond had caught immediately. He hopped off of the back of his disconcerted companion, walking up to his shoulder and placing a paw on the scar that traveled down to his forearm.

"Come on, big guy. Let's go."

A feeling came over Daxter as he stared into the depths of the forest. It made it's way from his head to his paws, causing a slight electric numbness to take away their feeling. The feeling swept past his chest and through his spine. Whatever lies beyond would surely change his life.

This he was sure of.

 **Part three is on the way! I know where I want to go with this, which is good because this story is going to have a lot more structure to it than my other ones. To those who are reading it, thank you for checking this out! Alright, Peace out!**


	3. Desmond Sees a Change (Pt 3)

**Hey there! Got another chapter for you guys, this story is getting exciting now that I've really expanded upon the direction I want to take it.**

 _Chapter 1: "The Aftermath"_

 **Part III**

 **Jack**

" _Can you do me a favor and just listen, Jack?"_

" _I have no time for fairy tales, Marie."_

 _The female sat down on a rough patch of rocks overlooking the small cliff, leading to an endless body of water that tirelessly battered the rocks with their waves. The collisions echoed through the two tigers ears with indefatigable force._

 _Jack had mated this female, and he loved her. It was clear not through words, but through the expression in his face. There was a softness to him that he wasn't known for with his pack. There was no malice, no dominance and certainly a lack of force whenever he was around Marie. He would never hurt her, and vowed to protect her the day they had copulated._

 _But today, he hurt her._

" _He's different. His eyes, Jack, are mine and yours." Marie spoke with passion in her voice, adamant that the child she was referring to was indeed a special case. She had spoken about it before, briefly in front of the kids when they were out for a stroll to this very spot._

" _Then what makes him so different? He's a normal scimitar, and will learn lead.." Jack shook his head, his eyes focused on a distant rock jutting out of the cliff. "This talk about destiny-" he struggled to find the words, as though they had slipped out of his mind to avoid being used in this argument. He sighed, closing his eyes to regain his ability to talk._

" _It's absurd. He's a male. He will learn to hunt, to lead, to fight and to breed. He's like Raj, just a little smarter." His hazel eyes met her icy blues, and he realized then just how serious she was about this topic._

" _He is a mix between a Beta and an Alpha. His blood is conflicting. You can't just brand him an Alpha. It's not how the world works. Not only is he a mix, but half of him didn't even come from the pack-"_

 _She was immediately cut off by a raging roar that bellowed out of Jack's lungs. He bared his teeth in a threatening snarl at her, showing her who he really was._

 _She wasn't frightened. Anger and frustration ran through him, much like it always has. He wasn't good with diplomacy, she realized early on when meeting him that he was about brutality, about dominating and destroying his enemies. She had witnessed his abilities when she was birthing her cubs in a den secluded from the pack, when another scimitar had threatened to kill the newborns to give his own. Marie remembered well what became of the unprepared suitor, within moments being nothing but a pile of blood and broken bones. Even then, she wasn't afraid of him._

" _You have a place here, should you choose to accept. You know that." He said through gritted teeth._

" _Your pack law forbids it."_

" _I am pack law." His voice commanded her to listen._

" _Your pack doesn't like the fact that your cubs came from an outsider beta. Especially a rogue."_

" _You left, you can come back."_

" _What would Locke think?" She inquired, raising her eyebrow in anticipation of his answer._

" _Locke stands by me, and me alone. His debt is paid-"_

" _Yet he chooses to stay. I know." Marie flicked her tail, showing disinterest in the conversation. A moment of silence fell upon them as both tried to find words to speak._

" _You will see what I mean, Jack. Just keep an eye on the boy, you'll see."_

 _"I won't stand here and listen to your superstition! Where does this come from, my dear?"_

 _Marie sat there motionless, keeping her eyes fixed upon the block of muscle standing in front of her. Jack was never one to deal with things that seemed to be out of the ordinary. He never dwelled on events in his life that would have been described as an occurrence that he couldn't explain. But she knew in his eyes he was beginning to realize just what it was she was seeing._

 _He was afraid._

 _She stirred. Her slender body raised itself and started to close the distance between herself and her mate. With a short smile she nuzzled his cheek, and all of the tensity Jack felt had faded. She moved to his shoulder, licking her way up to the bottom of his jaw, then placing her muzzle up to his ear._

" _It comes from experience. I see it in his eyes.. the boy is a ghost, Jack. Everybody knows it, so why do you continue to deny it?" She whispered._

 _Her voice sent chills running down his spine. The words she spoke were ice, gripping him with the improbable, near inconceivable belief that their unborn cub had come back.. Let alone the idea that he came back for some "important mission"._

 _He drew a breath in sharply, feeling the cool air burn his nose while it filled his lungs. A wave of calmness came over him, from the breath or her he didn't know. As Marie started to back up he intercepted, placing a kiss upon her lips. She moaned softly, seduced immediately by the male she so dutifully loved. The passion surrounding the kiss was good, but short lived as she drew back. causing him to stare in disappointment._

" _Our son will inherit many things from us, but I really do hope he doesn't follow your stubborn side." She smiled, and began to make her way into the woods._

" _I love you, Marie. I always will." He said, staring out at the sea. She stopped, turning her head to face him._

" _I love you too, Jack." With a small leap she vanished into the woods, leaving her mate to contemplate with the waves._

 **X**

It wasn't difficult for them to notice the difference in lighting within the forest. The pines towered above, dominating the sky with their sharp points stabbing the air. The lack of light had caused a slightly chilling air to flow through the greenery, like a breath being drawn in as the two entered the domain.

It was past midday, Desmond had already surmised. Within a few hours it will get dark, and with darkness comes danger. Dax had already started to sniff out possible campsites thanks would serve as shelter for the night. Sniffing out predators and prey was his line of work, established when they were making their way to the boat during the flood.

A distant rumble caused him to stir, looking up to the sky he noticed a dark grey cloud hovering threateningly over the forest, followed by many more.

"Just what we need…" he grumbled.

"Oh come on, Des. Don't tell me you don't need a shower. I could smell you from a mile away." Dax smirked.

"I'll be sure to rub my scent all over you when we're soaking wet from the storm. We need to find shelter." Daxter chuckled at the statement, turning his gaze towards a patch in the terrain that had led to a runoff down a small cliff. The trees clung to the dirt on the edge, thriving in the adverse conditions. It's thick roots twisted and curled around the soil, tendrils of life gripping with all of their might to the earth. Dax's nose caught a scent as he neared the tree.

"What is it?"

Daxter didn't reply. He sniffed intently towards the tree, silently creeping up to it using his pads. Daxter raised his ears, perplexed by the smell. It wasn't anything threatening. As he neared the jutting tree he grimaced at the smell of blood filling his nose. It was fresh, but sort of faint to him. Whatever it was had either left or was nearby. Desmond climbed off of his back and stood at the base of the trunk. He glanced down at the bottom of the runoff clearing the roundabout by the cliff.

"Speaking of shelter.."

Dax joined him, and the two stared at the entrance of a small cave that had been worn away, the rock beneath was eroded and still wet from the moisture. Daxter leaned over it further, craning his neck in an attempt to spot anything below them. With the cloud cover forcing the light to retreat, his eyes had adjusted to the change and given them an advantage to see though the darkness. His senses heightened, realizing that they were nearing a possible kill or the home of a predator soon to come back to it while the bloody smell fueled his adrenaline. He was ready to kill if needed.

"We should-"

"Hello!?" Daxter called out.

Desmond facepalmed, groaning as his small claws dragged his skin and his lip down in annoyance.

"You just don't listen.." His voice, however was quieted, Dax's paw had covered his mouth, and within moments Desmond knew why.

There was movement. A small rustling inside of the cave echoed outside, and the sound of claws scraping stone had given them the unequivocal proof of life that Desmond was so anxious of. The claws scraped in an off beat manner with quick, labored movement.

 _click-clack..click-clack.._

"Come to finish me off, have you?" The creature asked.

Then the rain began to fall.

 **XI**

"We really should be thinking about finding a place for shelter!" Sid suggested flatly, still using Ellie as a taxi service. The clouds above had become very angry, with dark greys coming in to shower the ground and everything underneath them. It had been a relatively quiet trip, with no one really wanting to speak due to the blissful silence having soothed their minds.

In front, Diego had spotted an entrance to the thickly covered forest. It's overgrown foliage served as minatory camouflage to potential predators. His hackles raised along with a slight hint of anxiety showing through, only to shake it off. He didn't like it, any of it.

"This could be good for us." Eddie spoke.

"Or really bad." Diego's interjection silenced them both. He stopped just short of the forest opening, and as he stared he could feel the hot air burn his nostrils. The moistness invaded his nose along with… Something else. A foreign smell overcame all else, alerting to a possible entity residing nearby.

 _Or passing through_ … the tiger inhaled deeply while his eyes scanned the area. His ears twitched in an attempt to hear anything moving nearby, but the wind had dominated this domain. It brought forth scent intensely, and he knew at that moment that whoever it was, _whatever it was_ had been here not long ago.

"Smell something?" Manny asked his friend. He watched closely, analyzing the tigers body language closely. Diego might not speak all that much, in fact it seemed the guy hid more than he let on, but one thing he couldn't hide was his body language, a fact that Diego had caught onto rather early on in their endeavors after the battle of Half-Peak.

"A tiger. It's no saber though.." he took in the smell again, "And a.. a rodent?"

"That's us." The two brothers acclaimed in unison.

"No idiots, you're behind us. The smell is coming from ahead. Don't you know anything about scenting?" Diego growled, rolling his eyes in annoyance at the two. His eyes wandered, trailing his gaze at the ground. _Diego you fool…_

One by one the herd followed his head. Tracks indeed, leading from the west into the woods, turning straight and stopping right at his feet. Diego saw only one set of tracks, but he smelled more. Curiosity forced him to investigate, bringing his nose to the ground he scented the tracks. One of the odors was that of a tiger alright. But the other one was definitely strange, earthy was the word his head came up with.

"Less than a half hour ago to animals came through here. I think there's a rodent traveling with him, but I'm not sure."

"Him? As in it's a male?" Manny inquired.

"Yes."

Nobody questioned him. The silence lasted for mere seconds before the sound of the possum brothers faking their deaths had broken it.

"What should we do now? We know they're in these woods somewhere, what if it's watching us?"Ellie stepped forward, a worried Sid shaking on her neck.

"I don't like the sound of that. I think we should keep our lives and leave the forest of death alone." He managed to let the words pull through despite his trembling lips destroying the sentence completely.

"You're our 'fearless leader', Manny. You decide." Diego poked fun at him, putting heavy emphasis on the title. A small devious smile reached his lips as the mammoth glared, annoyed at the taunt but at the same time grateful that the tiger actually put a smile on.

"We should keep moving forward. Whatever it is we can defend ourselves. Besides, we wouldn't want to be caught in the rain." He said, eyeing Diego after mentioning something even remotely related to water. Diego let out a grunt, let the mammoth know in his own way that he conceded to the idea.

"And what if it's a trap?" Sid asked.

Everyone halted. Ellie's eyes grew wide, "I uh...I think Sid has a point. The wolves were out there, and judging by the tracks it's obvious that something else was following that deer." Using her trunk she picked up the two still "dead" possums and placed them upright on her tusk.

"It'll kill us!" Eddie exclaimed frantically.

Then the two fainted again.

"What if there's a pack waiting just on the other side?"

"Highly unlikely. There are no tracks going out of the woods, only one set going in." Diego rebutted.

Thunder rolled through the sky. Within seconds, the wind had intensified, causing the trees to sway at the mercy of the storm. Rain droplets started to fall, hitting Diego's nose and causing the tiger to glance up at the sky.

"I vote we go in."

They did.

 **XII**

"Who are you?"

The two stared at the creature, unwilling to move in anticipation for it's next move. Well..Desmond didn't move anyway. Daxter cocked his head a bit, unsure what he should say next. The creature standing below them was a small short faced bear, with thick brown fur covering its broad, muscular body. The rain pounded on it, drenching the matted fur and dripping what looked like blood running off of his right shoulder. .

"I said who are you?" He spoke again.

Desmond was the first to answer, "We're just travellers, we were passing through this area-"

"That scimitar attacked me! Get him away from me." The bear growled, his voice was deep despite his young appearance.

"Dude, I didn't attack you! We just got here!" Daxter condemned the accusation; in his head he wondered who else it could've been, even further who else would look like him. His ears perked as the possibility swelled. Could it be?

"You're the only scimitar I'm looking at right now, guy." Thunder rolled over them, retorting with it's own bellowing rebuttal. The bear began to shake, seemingly unwilling to argue in the pouring rain. His eyes stayed focused on Daxter, closely eyeing the predator's movements with the readiness to spring into action on a moment's notice.

"We aren't here to attack you, we're looking for shelter from the storm." Desmond shouted over another clap of thunder. He gripped at Dax's shoulder, something he always did. It communicated anxiousness underneath his cool exterior, but it was also a way to let his companion know that he had the situation under control.

The bear stood motionless, as if contemplating its next move. Dax watched him bite at the inside of his lip nervously while absentmindedly shifting his large paws underneath him, splashing up some water as he opened his mouth to speak.

"Alright. Come inside.. We'll talk more there." It was almost begrudging the way it was said. Desmond knew he didn't feel invited, but at the same time catching a cold in the rain didn't seem all too inviting either. He caved, giving Dax a small nod he climbed into his back as the tiger began to climb down. The rocky terrain proved more difficult than preconceived, as Daxter's padding was of no use when wet, and with Desmond being a passenger, the descent became all the more dangerous, but they made it nonetheless.

Inside, the cave itself was larger in scale than Daxter thought. Above it seemed small enough to fit four sabers comfortably, but on the inside he figured it could fit eight or ten. It was damp from the rain, the moisture gave him no relief in his soaked state, and the cool air caused his fur to bristle slightly. He shook off upon entering, causing Desmond to slip and fall off of his back and roll down his snout. His body hit the stone ground with a grunt that echoed throughout.

"Ya mind? I am still here you know." He remarked abjectly with frustration. Daxter couldn't help but chuckle softly, amused not only by the sound of his fur splatting on the ground, but because he didn't realize the mammal was still riding him.

"Sorry, Des. I didn't mean it." The two then began to talk more with the bear, paying no mind to the flashing lightning, or the thunder that roared outside of the temporary shelter.

 **XIII**

The rain pounded on the group as they passed through the dense woods, weary of what they would encounter inside of them, and especially tired of being wet. They followed the tracks best they could, while they were still around, that is. The water worked against them, slowly ridding the ground of any evidence of life still trackable by the hyperfocused saber that was leading them. The smell had washed away, so his eyes were the only ally at his disposal.

"I'm sorry, I can't remember if we're supposed to be tracking the animal down or trying to avoid the thing." Eddie glanced at Crash who had taken Ellie's trunk and used it as an impromptu cover for the rain.

"Well, Mister 'Tracky McWhiskers' over there seems to be more on the 'chase it down' side of things. Can we just find some shelter already!? I'm wet in places I didn't know could get wet!"

"When we're done with this I'm going to eat the both of you!" Diego roared.

"Again, carrying diseases."

Eddie chuckled, "What an idiot." The two began to laugh hysterically at the comments, only to be interrupted by an ear piercing roar and the sight of two giant paws mere inches from their faces. Before Diego could strike, however, Manny had caught him with his trunk and flung him lightly back to the front of the herd, saying something about giving him permission to do it later. Begrudgingly he gave in, letting out a growl before eyeing the ground for more tracks.

Crash and Eddie began to fist bump, doing a victory dance before getting covered in mud by Manny's trunk. Ellie cringed with annoyance. "Excuse me! Friendly fire big guy!" With a quick glance Manfred saw his mistake, resulting in an awkward laugh along with a nervous smile being the apology Ellie never wanted. He quickly apologized and continued walking with the thought of having to sleep outside omnipresent for the rest of the way.

Lightning streaked across the sky, lighting the path ahead with a blinding light that caused Diego to shield his eyes for a second. Thunder cracked a second later with ear splitting volume, the storm was right on top of them by now. Rain had turned torrential with any sign of life within the woods now reticent of an abandoned camp. It was hard to smell, and hard to see through the wall of rain pounding on the ground with unrelenting force. Runoffs were put to work, acting as nature's pipelines to move the water into pools, slowly eroding at the soil and rocks strewn across the land.

Up ahead, hope. Slowly, but surely a sign of life through the flurry of sounds attacking the tiger's ears all at once. Small voices, three he guessed. They seemed to be coming from… below?

"Wait, Manny." He commanded, coming to a halt for a moment. The herd stood still, alert and ready to move in behind the saber should anything happen. In a way, Diego supposed it did remind him of his life before, working like a unit to accomplish what needs to be done, though it was done in a more dysfunctional manner. He had no complaints.

He moved in, coming up to a tree that clung for it's life to the edge of a small cliff. Water ran around the edges and down the hillside leading to what looked like a hollow point below. Diego keyed in as best he could on that single point, doing his best to utmost everything else around him as his ears tuned in on the voices. They had all but vanished now, nowhere to be found in the bellowing storm.

He heard Manny's footsteps coming up behind him and jolted out of his hyper alert state. The mammoth stood beside him along with the rest of the herd.

"I guess we found our shelter."

Diego nodded,"Let's get dry."

 **XIV**

"So you don't know who did this?" Daxter stood behind Desmond as the weasel inspected the wound. Two deep claw marks trailed his right shoulder, with a single mark placed across his left cheek. The wound leaked blood, but seemed to be under control after the bear had treated it.

"If I knew his name I'd tell you. He looks just like you, kid. He's a scimitar, way outside of his territory. The pack he belonged is located by Gap Tooth Cave, thirty-five miles to the northeastern quadrant of these woods. Another pack borders Blood Ridge, led by a man named Art." He grunted as Desmond applied some pressure to the still tender area.

Daxter stared at the bear. Through his eyes, it was plain to see that the tiger was at a loss for words.

The bear snorted. "You know him, don't you."

"Yeah. I do. What do you know about the pack inhabiting Gap Tooth Cave?"

"Dunno. But the cat that attacked me? Rumor has it he betrayed his leader. I heard that the two packs were once one, but a break in leadership caused the lead beta to murder the alpha in cold blood. I also heard that this same man was framed, and is trying to kill Art. I don't very much care, really. It's all rumors and drama."

He glanced back at Daxter, who seemed to take offense at the comment. For a moment, the bear ran it through his mind as to why that could be so, until his ears perked in surprise at the revelation.

"Oh man..you're trying to reach them, aren't you?"

"What's your name, bear?"

I don't play that game, tell me yours first."

"Daxter. My name is Daxter." He growled out. Anger and frustration ran through him, partially for the comment and in part because of how complicated things are becoming.

"My name is Ryan." The bears introduction was dismissive at best, uncaring for the predicament the tiger was in. "I don't know why you're doing it, but you'll leave as soon as the storm passes. I don't want another run in with that guy."

"Looks like that's gonna be a while. My name is Desmond, by the way. Thanks for letting us stay."

"You guys looked cold." Ryan spoke coyly.

"Yeah, we-" Daxter was cut off by another voice, distant but audible through the rain. He turned, putting his paw up to signal absolute silence between the three of them. Desmond walked up to him, crossing his arms, waiting to see what his companions next move would be.

Daxter zoned in on the sounds, footsteps right above them. They were accompanied by soft rumbling that barely shook the ground beneath them. A mammoth?

"We got company.." Daxter warned Des, whispering the words into his ear as Dax began to pick him up with his teeth by his scruff. Without making a sound Daxter placed the weasel behind Ryan, then the two instinctively took a defensive position towards the front of the cave.

"Oh no you don't.." Desmond defiantly huffed, sneaking up to the tiger he gripped his shoulder and climbed up to stand on his head.

"Let's go get dry." Were the last words the trio heard before several footsteps began to make their way toward the entrance. Dax lowered himself to the ground, ready to spring into action should whatever was coming pose an imminent threat. Desmond had never found Daxter to be an impeccable fighter, with his small, lean build forcing him to use his speed over brute strength. Still, when it came to defense the tiger didn't disappoint.

"Complain about how wet you are again, I dare you." A deep voice responded throughout the hollow shelter, causing Daxter's hackles to raise. Adrenaline coursed through his body as the figure came into view. A saber tooth tiger, compact build with broad shoulders and large canines.

"Saber!" The suspect raised his face, meeting Daxter's multicolored eyes with his own hazel orbs. Surprise was written all over him, and within seconds he sprang into action.

"Manny!" The tiger roared as he advanced, showing his razor sharp teeth to them while he lowered himself down in defense of the threat.

"We don't want any trouble!" Desmond spoke, putting a paw out in an attempt to calm the situation. Dax was too busy sizing himself up to the older male, snarling at him and showing his own teeth along with Ryan, who advanced on the right.

"Then you should leave, before I make you."

"Not happening, we were here first." Dax reported coldly. Another snarl forced itself out of him as several more voices began to emerge, and the three instantly knew they were outnumbered.

Time to play diplomat.

"Who are you?" Des asked.

"I'm the guy that'll end your life should you try anything."

He breathed in slowly, keeping his eyes fixed upon the predator. "I'm Desmond, This is Daxter and Ryan. We're here to ride out the storm. You've trespassed onto our territory-"

"MY territory." Ryan growled.

Des nodded. "Why?"

"To seek shelter. We didn't know you were here."

"You're telling me you couldn't smell us? Or hear us?" Daxter questioned with reckless haste, only to be scolded by Desmond who stamped on his head. To Dax it wasn't much but he could feel it and got the point nonetheless.

"The rain clouded my-"

"Is everything okay? What's going on!?" Another mammal joined the fray, a _large_ one. A mammoth, with brown fur and long hair that was split down the middle. He charged in front of Diego and swung his tusks threateningly at the scimitar. The animals again engaged in a skirmish of sounds as they roared, growled and bellowed at each other before another voice broke the tension.

"STOP!" It was a female voice, another mammoth. She pushed the male out of the way, stopping directly behind Diego.

"Haven't you ever heard of 'ladies first', it IS raining outside." She stopped dead in between thoughts, her eyes caught on the sight of three mammals attempting to defend themselves from the herd. Where Diego saw a threat, Ellie saw what she could only describe as-

"Well aren't you just the cutest cat ever! What's your name?"

Daxter looked over at Ryan, who shrugged. He averted his gaze from the shemoth to Diego, watching the tigers every move.

"Uh..Dax." He answered, unsure of where the situation has gone. One moment you're on the brink of war and the next your complimented on your looks by an animal outside of your own species… And an herbivore for that matter. _What a weird world_..

"Don't trust them, Ellie." Manny swung his trunk around her protectively, only to receive a less than amused look from his mate. Ellie rolled her eyes and redirected her attention to the mammals in front of her.

"Who are you people?" Ryan questioned.

Manny opened his mouth to speak, only for Diego to interrupt him.

"I'm Diego, this is Manny and Ellie." He turned around, surprised to see that Crash, Eddie and Sid were hiding behind Manny's leg and… Actually quiet for once. It was creepy to witness, but calming at the same time.

"Sid, Crash and Eddie."

"Great, now that we all know each other l suggest you leave. I don't want anymore attention to be drawn to this location."

"You're pretty grumpy for a cub." Diego instigated the situation, much to Manny's disdain. He slapped Diego behind his head with his trunk and the tiger said no more.

"The storm is going to be around for another hour or so it seems. If you don't mind, we don't want to risk getting sick. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. After the flood-"

"You survived as well?" Dax asked with sudden interest. Curiosity took over. He didn't see them on the boat, their survival would have been slim to none, but considering their herd was comprised of all sorts of different animals, it didn't seem beyond possible.

"Yeah, miraculously. We thought we were goners in the end, but the water began to recede just in time. It was kind of coincidental, really." Sid stepped up, taking his place beside Diego. A very wet duo of possums stood on his shoulders.

"So you didn't actually get to the boat, then?"

"No. We were separated."

"You were lucky." Desmond crossed his arms, finding this 'miraculous survivability' to be unbelievable at best. Everything that wasn't on that boat perished right? The thought began to swell inside of his head that perhaps there were others indeed that had this kind of luck. It just didn't make sense to him.

"Please, let us stay. When the storm is over we'll leave." Ellie let off a gentle smile, telling the group that she was sincere with what she was requesting. Ryan scowled at the group, debating internally about letting two mammoths, a sloth, some possums and a tiger into his cave.

With a begrudging sigh he relaxed his body. Diego seemed to do the same, seeing the situation defuse slightly into a more civil dispute. Ryan shook his head, "Nope, screw this. I'm out. I've got another place to go that won't be smelling of mammoth feces." He padded away from the group, mumbling about never having a moment of peace to himself.

"There goes our mediator.." Dax walked over to one of the stones jutting out of the ground and marked it, keeping his eyes on Diego the entire time.

"This place is mine now."

"You and your rodent there own nothing. We're staying." Diego began to make his way further into the cave. He shook himself off of the rain, disgruntled about having to avoid deepening in it and traveling in it within only a few days.

Dax intervened, blocking his way, mere inches from from his own body. "You'll ask."

Desmond was impressed.

"I don't think so, cub."

The weasel squeezed his eyes with his paw digits, frustrated by the complexity of predators. In his head he thought of all the ways he could attempt to turn Daxter into an herbivore, or at least an omnivore. Maybe then he wouldn't be all tense.

"Listen, Big Tooth!" He stomped up to Diego, poking his chest with a single digit. "I don't know who you guys think you are, but trying to scare us won't work. We've escaped everything from vultures and wolves to entire saber packs. Hell Dax managed to frighten one into peeing himself, so don't think we're just gonna submit. I _will_ fight you."

Ellie let out a nervous laugh and pulled Diego away before he could do anymore damage to the situation. "Do you _always_ have to act with your ego, Diego?" She glared at him, clenching her teeth as she spoke.

"I'm sorry, my male friends here can sometimes only think with what's between their legs. Would you mind us riding out the storm with you? We would greatly appreciate it." Diego threw her a dirty look, one she countered with a look of her own. _Don't argue with women, Diego. You'll always lose..poor Manny._

Dax maintained his serious look, with Desmond leaning up against him looking at his claws. He was gonna let him handle this.

"I don't care, come on in." Daxter's look turned to a warm smile, secretly glad to have company it seemed. Desmond himself let loose a sly grin, knowing that the tiger he was leaning on was beaming with happiness over his decision.

Desmond wasn't entirely sure what had come over Daxter, or why he so valiantly took up defense despite being out of the sabers league when it came to size and strength. Well… Maybe not strength. It was a change, a _good_ change. The teen had started to learn how to fend for himself. Then he remembered the looks on Dax's face when they were leaving the Valley. The bodies.. the vultures. Better to learn through the brutality of life.

With a quick breath he patted Daxter's shoulder, shaking himself off from such troubling thoughts.

 **XV**

"Oh jeez, I think all of my fungus is gone!" Sid exclaimed as he inspected his fur. Crash and Eddie hopped off of his shoulder, using Ellie's tusk as a platform. They had taken refuge, and it was clear that mother nature's rage wasn't letting up anytime soon.

They were huddled in a large circle by a circular opening that Daxter and Diego had found just moments after exploring the cave. They had found minimal signs of life other than themselves, save for a pile of still dry wood lined up lazily against the wall and a couple decayed scraps of food in the corner. Sid had taken the wood and used his fire making skills to start a warm, glowing fire. As the light from it had reached out, the group began to note just how expansive and wide the interior of the cave actually was, leaving any explorer or cave dweller deceived by the tight entrance.

Daxter sighed, letting the warmth take over the cold of the cave. It was refreshing, and the tiger allowed in response a small yawn to escape his mouth. Desmond had used his flank as a rest, letting on arm rest by his hind quarters and the other close by his neck, with his stomach being the warm rest that heated up his back.

Diego was laying down by Manny with Sid close by. Ellie interlocked her trunk with Manny's as she took his right side, and the possum brothers had snuggled up on her tusks. Outside, thunder cracked as lightning continued to light up the sky. It seemed tonight no one was going to sleep.

"So you managed to escape the flood?" Ellie inquired.

"Yes, Daxter and I had managed to escape. We made it to the boat a couple minutes before it was full. It was a horrible experience."

"Did everybody survive?"

"No." Daxter answered, his gaze pointed towards the ground in thought. Desmond rubbed his hind leg, a gentle consolation to the scimitar, one he appreciated greatly.

"Were there other cats like Diego? Any sabers?" Sid asked before Diego could roll his eyes.

"Yes, there was." Dax simply stated.

"Any families?"

"Yes."

Ellie quickly decided to move the conversation away from the topic of death, "Where did you guys come from? We didn't see you in the herd valley. You must have been outside our territory."

"We weren't very far away from the Eviscerator. It was clear to see from Geyser Ridge."

"The springs? I'm surprised Diego didn't find you." Ellie spoke with a calmness that reminded Daxter of his mother. It was, to put bluntly, as if she had died and been reincarnated as this smiling, beaming mammoth. He of course wasn't about to tell her that.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he couldn't find a lot of things." Desmond blatantly laid the insult out on the table, still holding his grudge against the tigers disregard for possible diplomacy.

Diego merely growled, knowing only himself that he was never near that area, but on the inside wishing he had been.

"So you made it all the way out here? How?" Sid had seemed genuinely interested in the topic, choosing to rather stay attentive to the duo rather than attempting to sleep the night out.

"It's a long story."

"It looks like we have all night." Ellie said. "I'm up for a story, how about you Big Guy?" She tightened her trunk around Manny's affectionately.

"Come on, tell us!" Crash scurried into Ellie's fur on her trunk as she released Manny's. Eddie took her right tusk, leaning back into it comfortably.

Both weasel and tiger looked at each other, a mutual grin hidden within the eyes of the beholders. They decided to tell their story, and as they did, neither predator nor prey spoke a single word, nor did they interrupt at any time.

And the night flew by.

 **Story time, folks! Come sit by the fire and hear their tale! Pt 4 is in the making!**


	4. The Flood (Ch2) Pt 1

**To those of you who have read this far, I thank ya kindly. Enjoy!**

Chapter _2_ : _"The Flood"_

 **Part I**

 **I**

There was unequivocal proof that things were warming up in the valley. Winter had come, stayed, and was now turning to spring. The trees were coming out of their slumber, with their long, skinny branches growing new life to the once white land. The grass had a familiar sense of vitality to it, breathing, comforting and warm. The day was hot, hotter than normal for spring, and while most of the herd mammals were out at what could pass for an icey water park, two men, Daxter and Desmond, had found their own quality sense of relief, choosing to spare themselves of any and all interactions with the local herds. Indulging themselves instead in a more private area by the hot springs, lounging about by a small lake that surrounding an open cavern. A waterfall towered above it, roaring with clear blue water that filled the small reserve while Mother Nature did her job at heating it. The scimitar was relaxing in the water, floating on his back with his paws in the air, enjoying the heat that warmed up his back while the sun beat on his belly.

On his chest, Desmond was the driver, using a stick to lightly push the two along. The weasel was humming a tune he had heard long ago, absentmindedly murmuring the words as he guided his living vessel to nowhere in particular. Daxter's chest expanded in rhythm to Desmond's strokes, giving him a unintentional timer to keep track of for each stroke he took.

"Hey, Desmond.."

"Yeah?" The weasel took his makeshift paddle out of the water, setting it on Dax's stomach. He let out a breath and sat down on the tiger's chest, closing his eyes to let his mind wander as he soaked up the sun.

"Is this gonna be our home from now on? I mean, we could keep looking, but I like how private it is and the waterfall makes for good ambience." Dax shifted a bit in the water, letting out a stifled yawn as he cracked his chest and back.

"I think so. There's a little alcove by the waterfall where we could sleep, the spring gives us clean water, and there are hunting grounds for you that are only a couple miles from this place." He placed his paw in the water, feeling the warm temperature surround it like a blanket. The area was blanketed by trees, providing the two with ample cover from the rest of the world. They weren't antisocial per se, more so the kind of people who much rather sneak away from a social gathering and head out to do their own thing.

Daxter used the word 'Vagabond", which wasn't entirely true. They would travel from place to place, searching for a home to suit their needs. They've followed the migration from a distance, searching for a place nearby where no one would know of their existence. The quietness was what appealed to them, with nothing extraordinary occurring in their lives, no big adventures to pace them. Their life was calm save for the antics of the tiger himself, who would often be found hunting, exploring and, of course, cliff diving.

" _And should it be that I refuse.."_ Desmond hummed as they floated towards land. A small rocky opening lined the woodland entrance as the two exited the water. Daxter quickly shook himself off, and began to make his way through the woods, with Desmond on his back. They were in no hurry, nor were they going to do anything special.

" _Take the time to peruse.."_ He continued to sing lightly, glancing behind him at their new home as is was once again hidden by the foliage, a natural camouflage keeping it a secret to prying eyes.

"You've been singing that song since we came here." Dax noted, bringing the weasel back to attention.

"It's a song I heard from my dad. He used to sing it when I was young."

Dax nodded, "What does it mean to 'peruse'?"

"Well," Des started, "In the case of why he was singing it I guess he was talking about my mother, who he refused to take back when she left me with him. I guess it was his way of saying 'You wonder why', you know? But.. to peruse is to read something carefully, and thoughtfully."

The tiger nodded again, acknowledging to the connection. "I don't remember my mother."

"You were too young. What happened to you was quick, you didn't get to spend a whole lot of time with them."

"That's not what I mean." Dax interjected, shaking his head. "My dad was around all the time, but that was because he was the alpha male of my pack. My mother left when I was a kitten, she went rogue and was supposed to be killed, but dad pretty much threw it under the rock."

"Did he still love her?"

"Yes. Very much so. He would walk off to meet her so they could get some alone time. He offered her a place back in the pack but she would turn it down. I never really got to see my mother all that much.."

"Why wouldn't she come back?"

Dax stayed silent for a moment, letting his paws guide them through the forest, making as little noise as possible, which he was still having some trouble doing at this point. His eyes focused on the ground in front of him, trailing random stones and sticks that passed under him.

"Locke, my uncle, had tried to mate her before my dad did. It was a very awkward love triangle kind of thing. I didn't care for the politics of it but after my dad had claimed her Locke always sort of had a small grudge he held about it." He let out a small sigh, letting his mind wander.

"Then it happened. I remember the terror in my sister's eyes, she saw what happened but before she could explain she was.." he was unable to finish, the memory proved too much for him. He let out a soft sigh, closing his eyes to block it all out. He remembered well what happened the day his father died, when he was _murdered_. The memory clung to him, though Desmond had tried to find some solution to the nightmares that have claimed his sleep for the past few nights.

"You're alive, Dax. Live your life, that's all you can do." Des scratched his ear, making Dax twitch it pleasurably to the feeling. He tilted his head slightly to give his friend some leverage. He wasn't one to deny Des of his friendly gestures, it helped him deal with whatever was going on.

"So where are we going?" Daxter changed the topic to ease himself of the memory eating at him.

"No where, I suppose. I kind of want to check out the area just to see what else is around us. We should get the lay of the land."

"Yeah, good point. There's a couple of caves around here, I spotted one down by the lake from here. It's small, maybe we could-"

"Dax, stop!" Desmond hushed him with a quick jolt on his ear, forcing the scimitar to listen. He did as he was told, looking around at woods. Everything was still save for several buzzards above that circled the two. The duo eyed them, perplexed and suspicious of the odd activity.

"Desmond… They only hover above things that are dead.. right?"

Desmond swallowed hard, releasing the knot in his throat. "Yeah, or things that are about to die."

The buzzards circled once more, casting shadows upon the two that danced in sync with the scavengers. Dax attempted to scare them, unsheathing his claws and letting loose a roar loud enough to be heard for miles, and the buzzards were suddenly disturbed. One left the group, traveling to the north away from them, not too frightened by Daxters display of vocal force, but almost as though it's attention had been caught by something else. It was heading towards the herd, passing over the two animals with dismissed interest. The buzzard threw Dax a glare and cackled before flying over the treetops. Several others donning murderous grins followed closely, moving as a unit to whatever thing had grabbed their attention.

"Go."

Without another word Daxter bounded into a full sprint, dashing through the trees and leaping over obstacles in his chase to find out where they were going.

 **II**

He wasn't entirely sure of what to think. It was all too familiar the smell that had invaded his nose, bringing with it memories from some time ago. It wasn't repugnant in any way, nor did he perceive it as threatening to either of their safety. It was a sweet, aged odor coming from an animal up ahead. He knew it was female, and that it was an elderly one.

Daxter took a step into the bush, allowing the foliage to hide him from the animal. It was wandering through the forest, without the slightest clue that hiding within the trees were the very same buzzards awaiting her death. Maybe they just knew, or perhaps Dax figured they had smelled something he couldn't. In either case the act seemed repulsive to him.

The female took the form of a scimitar, with several deep scars that deformed her face and legs. She wasn't well, with her figure being that of a bony, almost muscleless body that drew in ragged, wanting breaths. Whether disease would take her or starvation he didn't care for.

Des nudged him, "You should just do it, put her out of her misery."

Daxter didn't look at him. The woman ahead sat down, shaky hind legs barely holding her up. This would be the last time she would ever sit down.

He pushed through the bushes, revealing himself to her. She seemed very patient, taking the time to look the young male up and down, taking in every detail she could. Her face told Daxter many things; but what he took from it was that she wasn't afraid.

"I could smell you in the bushes, my dear. You and your friend." Daxter's heart began to pound in his chest. The voice.. The face..

"I knew you were alive." He didn't speak, frozen in place by the phantom in front of him. The memories flooded through him, preventing any word or noise from escaping him. In all of his days Daxter had often wondered about encountering something like this, meeting with one of his own in an obscure manner, possibly passing them by or just glancing in a random direction only to recognize them. But this was...grim.

She was ill, he could tell from the stench coming from her breath, disease and age. Her teeth were black and red, rotting and broken from what looked like a bloody fight. One of her canines had completely come out of her mouth, root and all with nothing but a bloody hole with an infectious, pussy liquid ever so slightly dripping from it. If it weren't for her silver eyes staring into his own Dax would have taken her for a zombie.

"A-aunt Nadia… what happened to you?"

Nadia smiled weakly, "It doesn't matter. C-come dear, let me get a look at you."

Daxter didn't refuse. Taking several steps forward he accepted the warm gesture, sleeping Nadia to inspect him. She gripped his chin with a paw, slightly swinging his head from side to side she took in all of the details.

"You've turned out quite well. What a handsome young man you've become." She looked into his eyes, and Daxter almost gagged from her rancid breath.

"Your eyes are gorgeous, dear. I always knew you'd keep the hazel/blue combination, your father thought it would go away once you grew up. He was never one for superstition."

Dax let out a small smile. Nadia had always been his biggest supporter when it came to his supposed "duality" as the pack had put it. He had personally despised his own eye colors, mostly due to his father's disapproval of them, but Nadia just had this way of making them seem alright to Dax, like it really was no big deal.

Nadia rotated her paw, "Turn, deary. Let me see those muscles. Hopefully you'll have your father's build."

He obeyed. Turning to his left Daxter exposed his flank to her, facing forward and keeping his eyes on the scavengers who shifted and scowled at him from the treetops. He let out a low growl from his throat, ordering them to stay away.

"Don't mind them, they're too scared to come down here anyway." Dax felt a paw prod at his shoulder, where Nadia had lifted the fur hiding his scar. "Still there…"

"It always will be."

"You can go after him, you know."

Dax nodded, and the conversation fell short. Another paw trailed his body, this time inspecting his hind legs, lightly scratching at them with her claws, Nadia smiled with approval.

"You'll grow. You have good genetics, my dear. You'll breed well."

"That's if I want to."

Nadia chuckled, "You won't be saying that when the girls are in season. Just let nature take over, children can be fun."

"Yeah, or a nightmare.." The male stated.

The elder snickered, "You've inherited your father's build, indeed. And your mother's gentleness.. an odd mix, but you'll do fine."

Dax turned to face her, "Do fine with what?"

"Well reclaiming the pack, of course."

Dax bit his lip, "Everybody is dead, Nadia. There's nothing to go back for."

Nadia shook her head, "I was sure you'd say that." She stepped forward, nuzzling him affectionately, "They're alive, dear. Locke, Sam, and even Una."

The sound of her name caused Daxter to spring with excitement. He took in a breath as he held in the information. "Where is she? Does she know I'm alive?"

Nadia deepened her frown, "I don't know, dear. I was only there for a moment before they attacked me and threw me out of the pack."

"Why did they do that?"

Nadia licked her dry lips, letting some saliva hit the floor. "I'm too old child. After they did I searched for you. I tried so hard to find you, and the years just flew by. Time has not been good to me."

Daxter wasn't sure how to handle it. His ears drooped as Desmond came to his side.

"And who is this?"

"I'm Desmond. I took care of Daxter when he was small, he's grown a bit hasn't he?" Des joked with a smile to lighten the mood, causing the elderly saber to grin once again.

"He's a stud. You did a good job." Des nodded with pride. Nadia's gaze returned to Daxter, seriousness taking precedence over the lighthearted moment.

"He came out alright." Des crossed his arms, tapping his foot on the ground as he sent Dax mischevious glare.

"Oh, deary, you know I do love you. I hope you know I've been thinking about you since the whole tragedy.." Daxter nuzzled her this time.

"You should leave. Please. I've looked upon your eyes again, something I wished to do before my time is up. It's true, you know."

Dax tilted his head, wondering why she had begun to usher him away so, but decided not to push the issue. "What's true?"

Nadia coughed, hunching over slightly as a flurry of heavy breaths and scratchy coughs came over her. When she was finished Daxter glanced down and noticed thick, red blood had now stained the ground in front of her paws.

"You really are a ghost." A word he had heard all too many times during his time in the pack. Sam would bug him about it, being Locke's brother it wasn't too hard to see how the twins could think such a thing, they were practically carbon copies.

Desmond patted Daxter's shoulder as Nadia spoke again, "Go. You've allowed me to fulfill my purpose." She attempted to rise up again, her hind legs shaking and atrophied provided very little support, causing both Desmond and Daxter to assist her, with Dax leaning up against her flank and Des holding on to her front leg. After a moment to regain her footing, she licked the side of Dax's face and began to slowly walk past him before turning once again to lay her eyes on his. Daxter saw the sadness held within those old eyes of hers. He wanted so badly to ask her more, but instead the only thing to come out way less than sufficing.

"Where will you go?"

She clicked her tongue, "Hopefully there's a nice Willow tree nearby. I do so love Willows.. goodbye Daxter. I still love you."

The male scimitar swallowed hard, blinking back tears he wished to never shed. Not here, at least.

"I still love you too, Aunt Nadia."

Without another word, the elderly female wandered into the bushes and out of sight, leaving Daxter with the devastating realization that she was looking for a place to die.


	5. Half as Bright (Pt 2)

**Another chapter up!**

 _Chapter 2_ : _"The Flood"_

 **Part II**

 **III**

Daxter had never been one for crowds.

Wherever he looked souls had filled up the space surrounding the giant bowl that they had claimed as their home. It was rumored that the area had once been a crater, caused by an asteroid that slammed into the earth several thousand years ago. What was once a blazing hole had regrown into a flourishing niche for all animals to thrive in, with the towering walls of ice a reminder of such an extraordinary event taking place.

Dax never believed it, ever contemplating how dubious such assumptions were. The adolescent male wasn't one to believe so easily, without regard for substantial evidence to back up such claims. However, in this he claimed no knowledge as to the creation of such a landscape. Everyone's guess was as good as his.

Everyone had gathered by the Eviscerator, staring at the towering structure to watch a sloth make the plunge that would no doubt kill him, who was having some serious internal turmoil about ever having made the decision to climb the titanic water slide. It wasn't so much a slide as a straight drop down, with over two hundred feet separating him from the ground. Dax shook his head, feeling indifferent about the situation.

"See that? That's you if you continue to jump off of those cliffs, big guy." Desmond twirled a weed in his hand, standing atop of the scimitars back as he too watched the situation unfold. A tiger had joined in the chant, shouting "JUMP!" with the rest of the crowd. The sloth had taken a step forward, only to retreat at the sight of the distant ground below him.

"People are stupid." Dax commented.

The sound of the crowd had intensified as the sloth, who just before had run through his mind the severity of the consequences beheld by the jump, had in fact, jumped. 'Oh!' and 'No!' were the only exclamations Dax could hear among the chaos, certain that the sloth was going to die. He was surprised, then, to see a mammoth fling his trunk over the edge of the Eviscerator and catch the sloth mid drop and pull him back up. He released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding in, grateful to see the tragedy averted.

"What an idiot. There are perfectly good slides right in front of his face. Not even you would be dumb enough to do such a thing."

"Mildly offended." Dax stated simply.

Desmond snickered at the tiger, who continued on his way around the crowd. The chatter had dulled down to mindless banter as the disappointed herd of animals disbanded to go about their day. Up ahead, children had gathered around a small icy playground, with small slides that swayed to and fro in ironically exact positions so as to hover over a small pond. The kids laureled and played as they usually would, uncaring of anything else occurring in the outside world. Dax curled his lip, admiring the social behavior of herbivores.

"You have to listen to him, he's right about the flood!" A voice reached Dax's ears, causing him to tune in on the conversation. It came from the same mammoth that had saved the sloth from plunging to his death, now bantering about some natural disaster. He stopped, turning his attention the mammal as he listened from a distance, unable to be seen due to the crowd of animals surrounding the titan.

"What's he talking about? Did he say something about a flood?"

"Mhm." Another voice rumbled from above. A vulture swooped down above the duo, landing gracefully on top of a tree branch before settling to pick at his feathers.

"It's happening here?" Dax inquired.

"Yes." It's eyes focused themselves on the predator, stabbing at him with their sickly yellowish color.

"How do you know this?"

"The weather's gettin' warmer, can't ya tell? You're in a bowl. It's gonna fill up.. nothing you can do." The bird spoke with a calmness that irked the weasel. Dax considered just trying to scare the animal off. He curled his lip and began to growl, but a pat from Desmond's foot on his back forced to him reconsider, instead deciding to hear the deranged scavenger out.

"So.. How long do we have?"

The bird scowled threateningly at the weasel, "Three days. Maybe two. Many will die before then, sickness is a big thing with large crowds. This place is going to be a buffet.."

The distant look in the vulture caused Dax to shudder slightly. _Psychopath.._

"You have a chance, though. You could either get to some high ground and risk death, or get to the boat. Either way, you'll probably die."

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Dax asked accusingly.

The bird smiled, "Never tried drowned tiger before. Don't worry kid, it really is pretty painless."

"Do you always talk to your company this way?"

It shrugged, "It's just business. Lone Gunslinger will tell you the same thing." The vulture pointed behind the two, who glanced in the direction to witness another vulture perched on a tree, apparently breaking the news to the distressed group of animals. Dax noted that the elk child didn't take it very well.

Desmond redirected his attention back to their less than friendly visitor, who had gone back to ruffling his feathers. "This boat, where is it?"

The bird smiled, "At the end of the valley. Heavy traffic though, I'd get moving if I were you. Or not, it doesn't really matter to me."

Des cut his conversation short, giving the bird a nod before telling Dax to head in the direction of this "boat". In his mind, several questions danced around erratically without any answers to satiate him. He did his best to hide it, but worry began to well up inside of him. With a quick breath he cleared his head, repressing the thoughts that bugged him.

"We'll be alright, Des. Let's just get moving."

"Isn't that something I should be telling you?"

Dax smirked, "You're right…" He cleared his throat. " We're both gonna die."

"It'll be alright, Dax. Let's just get moving." Desmond responded with a mocking tone, causing his companion to chuckle lightly at him. The sarcasm was a nice change of pace from the macabre conversation they had just emerged from just moments ago. Desmond began to wonder whether or not the bird was sending them to their doom. It was plausible.

As for Daxter, his mind was preoccupied with thoughts of his aunt, Nadia.

He was already forgetting her face. It hurt to think that she was only here to find him. It was the very question of how that he found puzzling, and brought about the concomitant wonder of just how long she had been doing it. _Furthermore, where did she come from? Why didn't I ask?_

He knew why. Internally the questions he failed to ask began to tear at him. To see her standing there.. _alive.._ it was as though he was seeing a ghost of his past that had come back from repression cause chaos. Her smile flashed in his head for a mere moment, and he knew that her love for him, despite how withered and exhausted she appeared, was still pure.

There were a great many things running through Daxter's head when Nadia had met with him. With so many thoughts, why was it that he couldn't voice them?

"I didn't want to know."

Des raised his ears, "Hm?"

Dax stopped, kicking up a small amount of dust from his paw settling in the dirt. A deep frown had taken over, giving the weasel clear signs of the tiger's crestfallen state.

"I couldn't ask her where my pack is. I.. Couldn't."

Des crossed his arms, "Because you're scared." He stated.

Daxter contemplated his next words, biting his lip in his usual way whenever he feels the need to carefully speak. He tensed, giving Desmond a single glance, only to look away, feeling accused of a crime. "I shouldn't be. Now I'll never know."

"You don't have to go after them. Tigers don't stay in the same pack forever."

The adolescent male didn't want to look at him, keeping his eyes to the ground. "Betas and Omegas don't."

Des contorted his face, puzzled. It was obvious what he was suggesting, but he didn't believe it.. or was it that he didn't want to?

"You're not an alpha." He shook his head, but the tiger's face said otherwise. Desmond, surprised by the information just unloaded onto him put his paws on the back of his head and began to pace around, unsettled.

"You said you were born a beta. You said you had no place and didn't care to go back." He spoke through his paws that were now covering his eyes.

Daxter kept a serious look, odd behavior for the usually adventurous male. "I have to find them. I-"

"Inherited the pack? Is that how it works?"

Dax blinked, "Not for me. I can't just walk back and take it that easily. I have to fight whoever is the new alpha. But it's MY pack." His voice grew deeper, to Des it was grim.

"I don't want to lose you…" He took a seat in front of a tree that bent to the side, old and dying with very little leaves to cover it. It was naked and in the open, with it's sickly colored trunk beginning to succumb to age.

Daxter took a step forward, "Come with me, then. They'll understand. You can live among us."

The weasel cackled, "So they're gonna, what.. worship me? That's not how it works, man! I can't just blend in, I'm a freaking rodent!"

Dax growled, "When I'm in charge they'll have to let you. You raised me!"

"It isn't natural!"

"And what do you call this? What do you call us, Desmond?"

"You are the only one I trust!"

"I could eat you at any moment, what makes me so different from any other predator, _weasel?"_ Dax's temper had flared, bringing his face close in an almost threatening manner towards Desmond as he growled out his words. The weasel let out a gruff grunt, and with a single strike of his fist upon Daxter's face he managed to gain his space back, causing the predator to stumble into a sitting position, staring at him with confused and awestruck eyes.

Desmond had actually hurt him.

"Don't..." the weasel spoke harshly, pointing his finger at the now bleeding animal, "Ever.. do that again. Know who you're talking to, _cat."_

The word caused Daxter to flinch. It was like profanity to him, offensive enough to get his attention. For a moment, to him at least, time stood still as he attempted to reflect on what had transpired between them. His nose had started to leak blood, trailing down past his chin to drip onto the ground. The dirt sucked at it hungrily as the two stared at each other, neither speaking in the tense moment.

After what Dax felt to be hours, he drew in breath, "I'm sorry..."

Desmond reconciled immediately, advancing upon Daxter, who didn't move a muscle. With a long sigh he wiped the blood from his chin, wiping it on the ground. "It's fine. You're an emotional wreck right now.."

"She's alive, Desmond. At least.. I believe she is. I have to find her." Daxter's tone suggested a sense of urgency, almost desperation within his voice.

"Fine." Des replied, wiping some more blood off of Dax's chin. "I'm coming with you. We'll get to this boat, and then we go find your sister. Just..." He paused, patting the tigers shoulder comfortingly.

"Just don't be disappointed should we find out the worst has happened."

Daxter nodded thoughtfully, it was true that he didn't know for sure the fate of his only living sibling. The millions of possibilities flashed like a carrousel around his head. The idea of her death was execrable, disturbing him with its stabbing at his ambition with relentless intensity. It was a long shot, but a shot he wished to take.

"I appreciate you coming, Desmond."

He nodded, "First we have to survive our demise. The flood will be here in a matter of days. Ice melts pretty quickly with the sun beating down on it, you know."

And they headed out, with nothing but a light that was only half as bright as the darkness around it. They used the tracks of the animals that were ahead of them, crossing through fields and around rivers that were being fueled by the melting ice cascading from the bowl as it melted. In the distance they could see the water already beginning to wash over the edge of the ice dam. The two were beginning to realize just how dire the situation was turning.

Within hours the light had faded, and with Daxter having filled himself with food it was beginning to seem like the better idea for the two to find shelter, which Dax had dutifully obliged to, using his nose and his superior eyes to scan the area for both food and a dry place to sleep for the night. It wasn't hard, being the fact that the area was surrounded by open ice caves and crevasses due to the thinning ice sheets. It was cool, but Dax made up for it by using his body heat to warm up the hole that they had found only a half mile away from a river that was formed by the water.

 **IV**

Within moments Daxter had found himself drifting, leaving Desmond to his thoughts. He tinkered with a rock he had grasped between it's paws, feeling the rough texture and pointed edges. It was comforting to him, distracting him from the endless scenarios of the impending disaster, most of them what if scenarios.

 _What if we don't make it to the boat?_

 _What if Dax doesn't make it?_

The thoughts had begun to envelope his mind, swirling invitation inside of his head. He worried about it ever since they had started this journey. Now they were merely a half a day's walk from this "boat" the vulture had been talking about. As if it were some planned life line created by a band of random beings who, if it was real, obviously realized the hazards of the surrounding environment that they inhabited. If this place was such a death trap, why live here?

A rumbling purr escaped the sleeping tiger, startling him. The rock had dropped out of his hand and landed on the ground, several clunks echoing throughout the cave. He sighed, running his paw-digits through the soft fur on the crest of his head, drawing his paw back to his neck and grabbing at it tensely. His gaze turned to find Dax kicking at the air in random, rather uncoordinated directions. It wasn't out of luxury, it was out of desperation.

Dax stirred, moaning in his slumber. His mouth opened as he pawed the air, releasing a bit of saliva as it dribbled down his cheek. Desmond couldn't help but chuckle at the sight, he was sprawled out towards the back of the cave like he didn't care about his positioning. His lips and eyes twitched, indicating a deep sleep was well underway. Much needed too, the young man had already been walking the entire day. It was his turn to sleep.

"Day one.. piece of cake." Desmond said to himself.

Another murmur came from the cat, followed by a shuddered breath escaping him. His paws had begun to move in a more frantic manner, pawing at nothing, running from his dreams. Desmond made his way over to him, silently closing the distance between the two.

"Dax." He whispered, pressing his paws against the animal's chest. Another ragged breath, followed by some incomprehensible words spoken drunkenly by Daxter raised concerns. He pushed on his chest, causing Dax to huff out air roughly, only disturbing him further.

"Daxter, come on, you're having a nightmare." No response came from the almost panicking mammal, now moaning and breathing heavily. Des dodged an incoming paw, pushing it aside and lifted one of his eyelids, exposing a white ball that was twitching ecstatically.

"Come on man." He let it go, watching it slowly drop back to its normal position. As Dax drew in a breath, his jaw clenched, forcing out a grunt, sounding as though he were in pain. Desmond decided he had enough of the scene, and moved on to something a little more drastic.

He raised his paw and brought it down upon the side of Dax's jaw, a dull THUMP resonated from the collision. "Dax snap out of it!"

He did just that. Dax threw his head up immediately, tossing Desmond a few feet in front of him. He let out a roar as he rose violently, his hackles raised and ready for whatever intruder had woken him up. He was geared up for a fight, ready to rip apart anything and everything that stood in his way. His eyes scanned the cave, searching for something to attack.

"You couldn't have done that any less violently?" Des asked as he rubbed the top of his head. He groaned and reached behind his right shoulder, grabbing a rock that has stuck to his fur.

"No." Dax said as he walked by the weasel in a rather brutish manner. Des dusted himself off, growling at displeasing statement.

"Hey big guy, I did just wake you from a nightmare, only to get thrown into a rock wall as a response… how about you turn around and talk to me." Desmond spoke harshly towards the predator, causing him to stop just a couple feet from the mouth of the cave. His ears were folded back, not out of anger but regret.

"Dax. Talk to me." Desmond commanded. He took a couple steps forward, minding the fact that no matter how close the two are, Dax was still a predator. Not that he was afraid, he would never be afraid of this natural born killer.

"I don't want to. Please just drop it."

He didn't. Not because he was stubborn, or because he was interested, but because he knew that if this wasn't resolved it would hinder his companions ability to remain focused, and as far as he could tell the rest of the way was sure to be even more of a challenge. Instead, with a twitch of his ear Desmond decided to advance on the subject, knowing just what it was that Dax was fretting about.

"Daxter, dwelling on her death isn't going to help you." He walked up to the crestfallen male stopping only when his face was met with his own. Dax heaved a large sigh, interrupted by sobs erupting from his chest. Desmond attempted to console him, patting his chest and rubbing it softly.

"I could've helped her."

Des shook his head, "There was nothing you could do. She had already chosen her fate. She wanted it."

Dax closed his eyes, unwilling to even look at the weasel. "She didn't deserve to go like that, though. I could have hunted for her, gave her something to eat. We should have brought her with us." Several more sobs escaped him, letting the tears fall. No longer caring. Feeling them dripping onto his head, Desmond stepped to the side.

"She wouldn't have survived. Her age had bested her."

"I'm sorry, this is stupid, I know. I just.. I don't want to go all this way only to find out that everyone is dying on me again. For all I know you could be right.. the pack could be dead."

"We don't know, it's a shot in the dark, that I'll tell you. but you believe.. that's enough for me."

Daxter at this point had started to regain his composure, turning away the sorrow that had just overwhelmed him. Now wasn't the time for it, they had to continue their trek to the boat if they were even going to start this journey. As he cleared away the foginess that surrounded his vision, an idea popped up in his head regarding their next move.

"We should keep moving soon, Des. The ice will continue to melt, the longer we stay put the more danger we put ourselves in."

In response, Desmond snickered, "That's the most sensible thing I've heard come out of your mouth today."

"Hmph, I try."

The sound of Dax's heavy breathing filled the cave, voiding silence of its welcome despite the lack of words they had to say. It was shadowed by the omnipresent tenseness that overshadowed the duo. In a strange but oddly sensible way, Daxter felt its presence to be unwelcome.

"Did I ever tell you what happened to my father?"

Desmond tossed a pebble he had been preoccupied with, "I thought I was your father."

"No. You're my dad, maybe. Well... more like an older brother."

"Hm.. well you have told me. Several times. It's tragic, Dax, but you have to realize that life continues no matter what."

Daxter nodded, "It's hard, I loved them so much."

"That's the problem with you, man. You were never really good at letting go."

And he never spoke another word that night.


	6. This is Reality

**Alright, this one is finished! I decided that I wanted to add a little more depth to the situation. I think it came out good!**

 _Chapter 2: "The Flood"_

" **This is reality"**

 **V**

" _Woe it be to the animal who awakes before sunrise"_

The thought danced around Desmond's mind as he bobbed back and forth atop Daxter's back, who had been the one to make their decision to start moving three hours into the tigers slumber.

After his nightmare, Desmond had stood guard over him the entire night, ensuring a peaceful rest was in place of whatever dreams he had encountered. It took a bit to bring Dax down from his fit of guilt, if that's what it was. His feline companion did sleep, his back to the cave entrance while Desmond sat against it to watch the night make way for light. It was only mere hours before he woke up to tell the tired weasel that it was time to move, noticing the large chunks of ice that had fallen nearby.

The sun had started peek around the giant bowl surrounding the moving herds desperately attempting to escape with their lives. Some were still sleeping, others were silently moving out.

And already, some wouldn't make it. Two small sloth children lay in the grass, never to wake up. Desmond surmised it was due to exhaustion. The surrounding animals never batted an eye, choosing instead to pursue the route of self-preservation.

"Day two." Desmond spoke softly as Daxter padded past the sleeping animals.

 **VI**

The sun was beating on the ground with it's heat, hotter than usual to the duo. It's rays were ever powerful, eating away at the withering ice walls. Water began to leak over the top, now a permanent reminder of the eminent doom that awaits those who don't need the warning.

For those who took the word and left, the journey was proving arduous. Exhaustion and dehydration had started to kick in for the meek, and the elderly had started to fall. Tensions were rising, causing fights to break out, only to end with several animals separating. They wouldn't make it another day.

"Man, this is stupid!" An aardvark shouted among the crowd. Daxter kept to the side as the duo followed the herd. Aardvarks, several megaloceros bucks and even sloths were all conjoined within the group, supposing that playing the "strength in numbers" game was a more strategic way to avoid being picked off by predators, or scavengers for that matter.

Desmond considered this. "Live together, die alone.."

"Hm?" Dax inquired.

"Nothing, just talking to myself."

"Don't you dare go crazy before me. I'm already dizzy from going without food for breakfast today."

"What? I'm the older male, here. I have that privilege."

Dax raised an eyebrow as his eyes darted to the weasel standing on his head." What, to go crazy? No way. I forbid it." Dax turned his gaze towards the herd once again, now passing through a crevasse that led to a field at lower altitude.

"How far away is this boat? I didn't think the crater was this big."

"It's not a crater.."

"Oh yeah, smarty pants? What is it then?"

"First of all, what are pants? Second of all, it's a giant hole that had once been filled with ice. It melted away due to global warming."

Dax snickered, "Global warming isn't a thing."

"And yet here we are attempting to escape death from the massive amount of melting ice holding trillions of tons of water."

"And octopi." Dax added.

Des nodded, "Screw them. They've got suckers that'll squeeze the life out of you." he brushed the thick fur on the top of his head, feeling the short follicles prickle through his paws.

One of the Aardvarks turned, spotting the two as they isolated themselves from the herd. It became spooked, a worried look stretched across it's face as it raced to the front of the herd to one of the bucks.

"Hm.. Not very talkative." Des commented.

"Typical." Dax dismissed the action. Of course the herbivores would choose to stay away, he was a scimitar after all. In a strange way Daxter had found it to be a relief, as he realized that he wasn't very social towards other animals himself, choosing rather to stay away from large groups and go off on his own.

Not out of the ordinary. Besides.. Who needs that kind of drama in their life?

It wasn't an easy change, one that he reflected on repeatedly throughout their travels. Scimitars hunted in packs, and therefore were social creatures. Desmond had proved to be easy to talk to, naturally strengthening the close bond that the two share. It was easy to find solace in the heart of a person who understands what it means to be broken.

He had thought about it often. The memories he had were repressed back into the deepest recesses of his subconscious out of a need to start a new life. He had all but forgotten Raj's face.. Sam's voice was but a distant echo. His mother..

His memories were failing him.

Daxter let out a sigh. Up ahead there was nothing but miles upon miles of open land. The icy walls spread across the lane curving into an obtuse, irregular circle that came back to trap them on the other side.

"I feel so… Insignificant.." Desmond commented, mouth agape at the sheer size of the walls.

Through a patch of rock the two spotted salvation. A crudely carved log, hollow and curved, sat upon two large stones with criss-crossed logs conveniently placed to allow for leverage.

"It looks like someone must've realized how ridiculous the whole "Living in a bowl" idea was."

"The question is: who built it?"

Desmond shrugged, "My guess is humans."

"Humans aren't that smart. They can't talk." Dax snorted.

"I have a feeling it won't be explained."

"Can't or won't?" Dax furrowed his brow in thought.

Without reply, one of the animals ahead bellowed, causing the herd to halt their movements atop the hill. All animals came to a stop and spread out to give a little wiggle room, and Daxter sat by to watch as one of the bucks made his way towards the back to a female ground sloth, white pelted with a slim build, who was stabilizing her limping child.

"That's not good.." Desmond stated as he hopped off of Daxter's back, taking a step forward to get a better view.

The female stared at the towering buck with a frightened expression glued upon her face. She held her son close in defense of the child, untrusting of the alpha male. With a deep breath, the male spoke, and all animals listened.

"Tell me his name." It commanded. The mother said nothing, defiant of the authoritative composure the megaloceros maintained. He stamped his hoof in response, a mild threat that, although delivered would be ignored.

"Tell me his name, sloth." He let out a large huff that caused the unmoving sloth to cringe slightly, his hot breath invading her own nostrils.

"Zeke. Please, he's all I have-"

"What happened to his leg?"

The female shuddered slightly, "He.. he sprained it on a log passing through the valley. It'll heal, but it'll take time. He's not a burden-"

"You heard what that vulture said. Lone Gunslinger spoke of these walls caving in on us, sending water rushing through the land. We have two days."

"So he can ride on someone's back until he heals. Please, sir."

One of the aardvarks stepped to his side, "Brutus, we can't just abandon him."

The buck took a breath, looking around at the herd surrounding them. Several animals had started to whisper to each other under their breaths, judging both parties in the situation. Some stepped to the side, wanting no part while others argued over their fate.

"Death is coming for us! If you want to ensure the future of your species then you will stay out of this!" He bellowed to the crowd. All went silent.

"Madam," He said as he returned his gaze to her, "With all due respect, I have a herd to lead. They require the ability to move on their own to navigate the many miles we are to travel."

"He's light! He won't be a burden."

"Why can't you do it?" He retorted.

"I haven't eaten in a day and a half, we've been walking non stop." She scanned the herd, grim looks filled her vision. "Will no one help me? He's my only son!"

The male raised his head, rearing his massive horns, showing dominance over the group. "Who will help her? Any volunteers?"

An elk came forward, passing the alpha to stand by the female. He was thickly built, with several points that spanned several feet across his head. "I'll do it. I'll take him, madam."

The female suppressed a cry, her shuddering son clinging to her side. She whispered sweet nothings to him as she separated him from her hip, causing the child to become upset. He let out cries, apprehensive about leaving his mother. She guided him to the elk, who began to lower himself down to pick up the child.

"Ansel, you pick up that child, you walk alone." Both animals turned to Brutus, eyes wide with shock and awe at the cutting statement. Cruelty shot through his gaze, spearing the elk with his primal stare. It was obvious he led through fear. Malice was the word, and all willingly followed, whether through respect, desperation or survival, none seemed important.

Ansel, shocked by the comment, gazed at the female, whose tears glimmered in fear of the choice writhing inside of his head. A heavy breath was all the elk gave her as the child returned to her side, a painful whimper escaping his mouth. It was easy to see how labored his strides were, and it caused a knot to form in Daxter's chest.

With regretful hesitation, the elk raised himself back up, meeting Brutus's eyes with a coldness in his own before returning to the herd. The female sloth sobbed, knowing now the fate given to her son.

"How could you.."

"You don't think I enjoy this do you?" Brutus asked, his tone down to a hissing whisper.

"Yes. I do."

"He will attract predators. If he gets an infection he dies. If he doesn't recover, he dies. If he continues to cry he will endanger us all. We've already got one eyeing us now, and I'm sure you two wouldn't be what he wants."

"So better the child then? Better me?"

Daxter stood, ready to move in and offer his services, only to be cut off by Desmond who planted a paw on his chest.

"Don't," he whispered, "They'll mow you down if you come any closer."

"Someone has to help her."

"It's out of our hands, Dax. This is reality for many mammals."

Dax shook his head, "It doesn't have to be." His eyes returned to the scene, the mother now deliberating with Brutus as Ansel turned his head away, unwilling to bear witness to such a travesty. Dax wondered if he was silently conspiring against Brutus, the idea supported by flashes of pain passing through the elks face while he battled with his own tears.

"You have two choices, my dear."

She soothingly stroked the top of Zeke's head, quieting the child down to soft whimpers. "Your cruelty to others will be your death." She pointed a dull claw at the towering mammal, pain and anger dominating her voice.

"And your inability to care for your child will be your own in two seconds. Leave him, or you both go." Whispers once again filled the air, followed by several gasps and sobs. The mother drew back, baffled by the comment. She stuttered in an attempt to speak, but silenced herself in defeat.

Daxter couldn't take anymore, standing up he turned and with quick determination made distance between him and the sounds of the desperate mother. Sniffles reached Desmond's ears while he stood in awe. And he watched, with bewildered emotion as the sloth desperately detached the child from her side, dragged him to a tree several feet away, and scurried into the group, lost in the masses with tears streaming down her face.

And the child sat, a confused look on his face as the herd walked away without turning back. A few seconds passed by until Desmond watched the youngling attempt to raise himself, limp painfully in to catch up only to fall back into a sitting position.

He didn't get back up.

 **Desperation and preservation are two very powerful words. Work on the next chapter behind immediately!**


	7. Broken Hearts Mend (Pt 3)

_Chapter 2: "The Flood"_

 **Part III**

 **VII**

There was something bittersweet about the concomitant silence that enveloped Daxter's mind as he stared at the small puddle of water beneath his paws. The entire encounter, from beginning to end, had shaken him. The level of cruelty was at best despicable.

By now the child has started to realize just what had transpired. Daxter closed his eyes as an image flashed of the kids facial expression, shocked and heartbroken at the sight of his mother abandoning him, choosing her own life over his.

He was beginning to realize the direness of their situation.

The wind lightly disturbed his reflection, distorting it as the miniscule waves broke the glass-like surface. Dax raised his gaze to sight the boat miles ahead of him. Hundreds of animals were on the move, banding together to increase the likelihood of survival and protection against incoming predators.

 _CRACK!_

The Scimitar jumped at the monstrous sound, spinning around so fast he nearly dizzied himself. The dam was giving way, large chunks of ice had split from the wall and spilled onto the ground. Water was now spewing violently from cracks and crevasses within the failing dam, causing the animals to panic. They started to scramble like ants, tripping over each other and quickening their pace.

"Dax." A voice called from behind him. Desmond cleared the small hill, and Daxter was particularly surprised to find Zeke following closely behind, using a stick as a crutch to stabilize him.

"Desmond-"

"I couldn't just leave him. I didn't want you to interfere because they'd kill you. So when they left I helped him." Des offered a small smile as an offer of reassurance. He walked up to Daxter's flank and rested his paw on him.

"We're taking him."

"I'm not gonna argue with that. We'll take him." Dax agreed. He nuzzled Desmond, who gently stroked the crest of his head.

"Thank you, I couldn't watch anymore. I-"

"Don't worry about it." he offered a small smile and patted his shoulder.

Dax nodded, turning his attention to the wounded child. "Zeke, right?"

The child stopped, staring frightfully at the tiger. "Y-yeah.. Who are you?" His voice was high pitched and full of innocence.

"So you do talk?"

"Yeah, I do… why are you traveling with a tiger, Desmond?"

The weasel smirked at Dax, who met his eyes with his own. "Because he would make a better meal for other predators."

Zeke chuckled, "Hey, cat-"

"It's Daxter… Don't call me cat." He growled lightly, causing the sloth to stumble back, a frightened look told Dax he got the message. He regained his composure rather quickly, though.. much to the feline's surprise.

"Why are your eyes messed up?"

Dax perked his ears, offended by the blunt comment. "Des, I'm gonna eat him."

"Hey, you wanted to save him."

"For your information, kid.." his emphasis on the last word made Zeke realize his place, glancing downward and avoiding Dax's piercing gaze. "My eyes aren't 'messed up'... I was born this way. You wouldn't understand."

Zeke nodded, accepting the answer with childish disregard. It was true, he would never understand. Dax didn't care.

"He'll grow on you." Des whispered to the sitting tiger.

"So kid, are you coming with us?"

Zeke lit up, his blue eyes wide with surprise as the tiger offered him invitation to their group. He smiled softly, and Desmond gave a playful "awe" to Daxter, annoying him as usual. Dax signaled for him to come closer, and Zeke grunted as he limped over a sharp rock that pricked his bad foot painfully. He moved in to assist, lowering himself down to the ground so the small sloth could mount him. The child hesitated, but not for long.

"Where's my mother? Are we going to find her?"

Dax halted his steps, staring down at Desmond who was silently contemplating his next words with care. He wouldn't tell the youngling the truth.

"Yeah, kid. We'll find her. I'm sure she's heading towards the boat."

"Boat? I heard about it.. How are we gonna find her in the herd?"

Dax swallowed hard, "I don't know, Zeke. But we will." Desmond knew the statement was full of doubt, knowing that the chances of them finding her were slim to none. Unless…

Desmond beamed, "Hey Dax.. Sniff him."

"Why are you always making me smell weird stuff?"

"You've got the nose!" Desmond exclaimed as he poked at Daxter's chest.

"You have one too!"

"Yeah, and a mammoth has a trunk, what's your point?"

"You do it!" Dax growled in disgust at the thought.

"You can scent up to like five miles away or something like that, making you a prime candidate. Remember when you scented that female during the season?"

Dax pointed a paw at him, "Oh that was a dirty move.. you didn't see that, did you?"

Desmond chuckled, "I saw you drooling, it's a shame you were denied. Can't say I can blame her, after all you are friends with a weasel.."

"She was a saber! It wouldn't have been right anyway."

"Hey man, love is love. It doesn't matter if it's with a scimitar or saber, male or female-"

"Not into that.." Dax cringed at the thought.

"You're young. Experimentation is healthy."

"With a male!? You've done that!?"

Desmond nodded "It's easy!" he then made a hole with his paw-digits, "All ya gotta do is-"

"Excuse me! Child right here!" Both mammals quieted themselves, realizing the inappropriateness of discussing intimate relations with other people in front of a child.

"So.." Des cleared his throat.

"We're putting a pin in this."

"Get me drunk first."

"Really?" Dax inquired half seriously. The idea of listening to Desmond's bodily endeavors wasn't entirely enticing to the young cat, but it would make for some good laughs.

"Absolutely not."

Dax clicked his tongue in disappointment. "Anyway, don't worry kid. We'll find… what's her name?"

"Rose."

"Rose, a pretty name. We'll find Rose, Zeke." Desmond reassured the stressed sloth, calming his mind proved easy enough it seemed, as he almost appeared to forget the impending doom that haunted them everywhere they looked.

Zeke smiled with glee at the thought of returning to his mother. It brought Desmond a warmth that he had lost during their attempt to escape the flood. The smile, toothy and wide, had a manner about it that called to mind a memory, one he was quite reticent to think about.

"Don't worry, Dax doesn't bite much. He's all talk." Des spoke, and the predator growled playfully at the weasels attempt to bust his balls.

"You should ask Shorty here what happens when I do."

Zeke chuckled, "You two act like a married couple."

"We are." Dax responded as he licked his "lover's" back. He laughed as Desmond cringed at the gesture, spewing some words Dax would never mention as the trio began their trek.

 **VIII**

The grass felt warm beneath Daxter's paws. He flexed them subconsciously, feeling relaxed for the moment.

"What's he doing?" Zeke asked.

"You'll see." Desmond extended paw to signal the sloth to wait. And wait he did.

Daxter stood atop a large waterfall created by the melting ice. It raged over the icy cliff into a natural spring that steamed as the cool water hit it with unrelenting force.

"Is he gonna jump?" Zeke asked, half excited and half terrified.

"Yup."

Daxter put himself into position, mere inches from the edge. Adrenaline flowed through his body, warning him of the dangers this act posed.

"How high is it?"

"Eh, fifty feet." Desmond shrugged, tapping his foot on the ground anxiously. He never claimed to agree with Daxter's cliff jumping hobby, but with most things it became a matter of whether or not he could as opposed to whether or not he should. Typical male…

Dax adjusted, took a deep breath and jumped with grace. Zeke gasped and clung to Desmond, who kept his eyes glued to the tigers descent. His paws were extended outward with his back legs tucked into his body, a wild grin on his face told the weasel that he was having the time of his life.

He wasn't as amused.

There was a splash, and Desmond urgently awaited him to resurface. The seconds ticked by, and with Daxter still underwater Desmond was beginning to worry. He had done this before, _many times.._ But this was the first time he didn't resurface.

"Dax, come on this isn't funny." Desmond called out as he neared the edge of the rock that stood above water, glancing into the water for any sign of life. Minutes it seemed to him, and Desmond decided it was time to intervene and retrieve his friend. Before he could, however, Dax surfaced with the grin still stuck to his face.

Des snickered, crouching to meet him eye level. "You keep that stupid grin on your face it'll get stuck forever like that."

Dax didn't speak.

"Feel better? Got that adrenaline out of ya?" Without warning Dax's face turned sly before he grabbed Desmond and pulled him into his chest. The two went under for but a second before a protesting weasel quickly resurfaced and climbed onto the tiger, who was floating with his back in the water.

"You little-"

"You look a little wet. Hey Zeke, what do you think?"

Zeke chuckled at the two before they made their way back to land. "Cats shouldn't like water." Desmond murmured, stomping away from the drenched tiger who shook most of the water onto him.

"I give it a seven." Zeke said, clapping his paws together.

"A six."

"You're just grumpy because you got wet. Cheer up Desmond, it'll dry off in a couple hours."

"If we live through this..I'm going to shave you."

Daxter smiled, "Deal."

 **IX**

Midday.

Desmond had climbed onto Daxter's back to watch his rear while he hastened towards the boat. Their salvation was in sight at the moment, distanced by a quarry that led straight through the forest to it. Most of the animals curiously avoided this area, but it was the quickest way to the end of the nightmare the three found themselves in. It was true that the straightforward path was ominous, with several vantage points available for possible ambushes.

Nonetheless, they pushed forward.

Desmond kept his eyes to the rocks, their enormous bodies jagged and placed in ominous, unorganized positions that created a landscape favorable for predators keen on picking off stragglers or folk with the unfortunate handicap of traveling alone.

Fortunately.. there were three of them. Not so much of an advantage, but it sounded comforting in Zeke's head.

The clouds broke apart, allowing the sunshine to spill through the valley for but a moment. Daxter squinted his eyes so as to shield them from the sudden invasion of light, turning his gaze to the wall of rock trailing ahead.

"So," Zeke started, "How did you two meet?"

Daxter stayed quiet, ever focused on the path ahead, keying in on any movement. Desmond, noticing his companions apprehension, cleared his throat and turned to face the sloth swaying lightly on his rear.

"We uh.." Desmond struggled to find the words he needed, noticing Zeke taking pleasure in hearing what he had to say. After several seconds of stuttering, and a grunt coming from the animal below him, Desmond cleared his throat again. "Well, I met him when he was a small cub."

Zeke's eyes lit with excitement, "You raised him?"

 _Kid catches on quick…_ Desmond thought to himself as he observed the sloths eagerness to listen. "Yeah, I did. I wasn't going to at first because I figured he was sick due to his conflicting eye colors, but I grew too attached."

"Now he can't get rid of me." Dax snorted.

The weasel shrugged and continued, "Not that I would want to. Imagine the looks I get when I tell other animals I'm armed with a scimitar cat."

Zeke let out a high pitched giggle, "I think it's pretty cool, I've never seen a predator hang out with prey."

"Stranger things, Zeke. Stranger things."

A low rumble caused silence to become of the group. Daxter's ears perked, eyes locked on several stones that have fallen behind one of the many large boulders that littered their path. He squinted, paying no mind to the weasel that was whispering to him from the top of his head.

"If anything moves, run." He patted the scimitars broad shoulders before turning to Zeke, who's face flashed a worried expression to him. Desmond motioned for him to stay silent, bringing one of his paw-digits to his mouth.

Daxter took a step, sniffing the air for any scents.

 _Nothing.._ another stone fell, and his hackles began to raise.

"Masked.." He spoke to himself.

"Huh?" Desmond returned to his front, an extra pair of eyes set on the path ahead.

"We should go back." Daxter warned, twitching his ear, anxious of the suspicious activity occurring.

"We could, but we'd be out in the open. Too many predators."

Dax bit his lip, knowing that what his companion said was true. In fact, though he hadn't brought it up, Daxter recalled earlier smelling wolves while crossing through the outskirts of the herds territory, and he was sure one was following him. Never saw it, never witnessed it's form trailing behind. _Instinct.. They're here._

"What should we do?"

Desmond shook his head, "I'll keep the kid calm. You keep going. Act like nothing's wrong. Upon first sight, you show them what it means to give chase."

"I can't smell them."

"Mud. We know they're here."

Dax protested inwardly, but kept himself calm. A small whimper escaped Zeke, clouded by Desmond hushing him softly. Daxter chuckled quietly, contemplating his next move.

A small step, then another as the scimitar padded his way silently through the killing floor. Small stones made way as his paws brushed them lightly, creating little sound. Father taught him well.

The sloth on his back was his worry. Desmond could handle his own, proving to be clever enough to evade predators twice his size. But the kid...

Meanwhile, Desmond had kept himself busy by addressing the child's wound. The leg had swelled, and with further investigation he noticed that the slightest pressure caused young sloth to cringe in pain. He sighed softly, encouraging silence to the sloth as he tended to him, every now and then keeping an eye on the rear while Dax handles the front.

All was quiet, thus far. Dax tensed at the idea of an ambush, disliking the plan to cut through this area in the first place. Why Desmond had suggested it was beyond him. But along with it came an even more comical revelation.

 _Who's the more foolish: the fool or the fool who follows?_

Dax shook the thoughts away, refocusing on the task at hand. He had a duty to fulfill. His passengers were too vulnerable. With that in mind he pushed forward.

"We're almost out, Dax. Just a little bit further and-" he was cut off by a snarl that exploded through the air. It was loud, and whatever it came from was _big.._

Dax eyes widened. A chill ran through him as he realized how real this situation has become. He froze, fear running rampant from thoughts that pictured the worst happening. Zeke had started to whimper, almost turning into small sobs. Desmond did his best to quiet him, but it seemed that fear had done it's job on him as well.

"Hey, hey. Come on big guy, get moving!" Dax didn't respond, turning his head to find whatever direction it had come from, allowing his imagination to take over.

A slap to his face, and Daxter was brought back to life. Another snarl let loose behind them, testing his courage. Zeke cried out in fear as several large wolves unveiled themselves to the trio. A thump and another cry reached Daxter's ears, forcing him to jump at the sight of a fallen sloth crying on the ground.

As the wolves began to close the distance, instinct took charge.

Flight.

Desmond scooped up the crying sloth, who climbed back onto Daxter despite the searing pain shooting up through his leg. Growls and more snarling forced the young scimitar to move, kicking his powerful legs into a full sprint with their pursuers following close behind.

Desmond found himself staring into the eyes of death incarnate, taking the form of a rabid, massive dog hell-bent on the mauling of the three mammals. It appeared as though they hadn't eaten in several days, and were now preying on isolated travellers.

Saliva flowed from the mouth of the lead, prompting the weasel to groan in disgust. "Dax, he's salivating!"

"Take it as a compliment!" Dax panted out, "It means you're tasty to him!" His voice cracked as he leaped over a large stone, forcing his legs to move faster. His evasion tactics had become advantageous being somewhat smaller than the Dire Wolf, sporting less muscle allowed him to move faster and longer with less weight to hold him down.

Desmond spotted two more wolves appear from behind several large rocks that lined the borders of their path. He counted them in his head, with a totality of seven large, raging predators now in hot pursuit. Two of them followed closely behind what he believed to be the alpha, with four more taking the rear in the form of a column.

Pants and grunts started to fill the air as Daxter dodged and darted his way to the other side, sprinting with all his might towards a large oak that had fallen over after several pieces of ice fell upon it, with chunks now littering the area.

"Desmond!"

He reared his head towards the front, and spotted the obstacles.

"Go under it!" He yelled. A wolf who had neared them snapped at Zeke while another was attempting to bite into Daxter's hind quarters. Zeke screamed in terror before Desmond stomped on its nose, causing it to bite down on its own tongue. A pained yelp escaped it before retreating behind the brown pelted wolf, brutish and thickly built.

A howl rang out among the animals, alerting Desmond for a split second to the notion that something was wrong. He knew it was a trap.

"Hold on!" The words were spoken in quick succession before Daxter lowered himself beneath the massive tree, breaking several small limbs as he slid underneath it. Without warning, he felt two massive paws fall upon his rump before he made it to the other side. He grunted before realizing what had happened.

Shrill cries filled his ears. Desmond scaled the tree with Daxter close behind. His body froze at the sight of a small sloth curled up underneath three massive wolves, screaming helplessly as they began to tear him apart. He sprang into action, unsheathing his claws to shred anything and everything in his path. The first wolf he saw was the brute, biting into Zeke's leg and ripping into it with powerful jaws locked around the small boned limb.

With a single swipe he tore it's jaws away, and was met with crazy, almost distant eyes. Bloodlust had taken over, a very dangerous thing to encounter during a fight. It smiled at him with bloody teeth, dripping some of the red liquid onto the ground.

Desmond broke off a limb from the tree. It was small, but firm enough to be used. He stood behind Daxter as the scimitar worked on distracting the wolves. Brute was on him like maggots on meat, focused solely on killing the adolescent so he could enjoy his still writhing meal.

"Get them away from Zeke!"

Dax nodded, jumping onto the giant wolf's back and slamming himself into the group attacking the sloth. Desmond shook his head before turning his attention towards the thickly built block of muscle standing between him and his companion.

"Alright Mr. Big.. Let's see what's underneath that hide!"

The wolf, agitated by the taunt, leaped towards the weasel with a powerful growl emitted from its muzzle. With a single pounce it closed the distance, heading straight for the smaller mammal with the intent of mauling him.

With one quick movement typical of his species, Desmond dodged the hulking attacker, who slammed into the tree with enough force to daze it. A yelp rang out before it licked it's lips of the blood that ran down its chin. Desmond noticed it's large canine tooth had broken out of its place. He had a plan.

Having regained his footing from the body slam, Daxter was the first to strike. Adrenaline pumped through his body, prompting him to use all of his strength in this battle. With a resonating roar the tiger swiped at the closest wolf, making contact with it's eye. The wolf howled in pain and retreated to clear away the blood that poured out of the wound.

A glimpse at the ground showed a motionless sloth sprawled out with a small pool of blood gathered along his shoulders. Daxter immediately feared the worst, drawn away from the danger at hand. A mistake proving nearly fatal to Desmond as the two remaining wolves threw themselves upon their distracted opponent. Their movement, though calculated was slow enough to allow Daxter to react. He darted to the right, using his speed to his advantage. The ground kicked up dust, and the scimitar stood his ground, taking a defensive position in front of Zeke, showing the pack that he had claimed the fallen animal.

Desmond took advantage of his own situation, grabbing the broken tooth he brandished it as a weapon. It was short, though it's razor sharp edge was deadly enough. Before his opponent could regain his senses, Desmond jumped at the chance, jamming the knife-like tooth into the dazed wolf's eye. It flailed, swiping at his enemy with its small paws, knocking the weasel several feet away.

Before he could get back up, "Mr. Big" closed it's mouth down upon his leg and hurled the unrecovered animal straight into the oak tree. Desmond felt an intense, searing pain run through his spine before the wolf was once again upon him. This time, though, with the intent to eat him alive…

It brought its powerful jaws down upon him, only to eat bark as the weasel darted underneath the massive tree. Snarls and bloody saliva spewed from it's mouth as the wolf attempted to slaughter him, barking and biting with abandon at the ground in front of him.

"Daxter!" He cried, realizing that if he moved even an inch it would spell disaster. Thankfully, his enraged companion was rather faithful under stress it seemed, as he scooped up the sloth onto his back Daxter scaled the tree using Desmond's assailant as leverage. With a less than graceful twist, his landing turned rough by an unforeseen rock penetrating the padding under his paw, drawing blood and causing Zeke to fall to the ground still unmoving.

Daxter picked up his friend, and with typical haste retrieved Zeke so as to make his escape.

"You dropped him!?" Desmond accused him with shock.

"No! He fell!" Behind the two, bellowing barks, snarls and growls dominated the air as the wolves were left nearly incapacitated by the unsuccessful ambush. Desmond hoped they would never encounter another wolf as long as they lived. He knew it was improbable, but one could hope, right?

"We're close to the boat, let's just get to the geyser field." Desmond coughed, turning his attention to the unconscious passenger behind him.

And Daxter obeyed, never once looking back to check if they were being followed as he ran.

 **X**

It had to sink in a bit before Daxter began to realize what had transpired. He didn't want to fight, knowing that the wolves were acting on their instincts. They needed food, and no doubt they too were attempting to escape the flood. It was a thought that clung to the back of his mind.. the idea that they had just crippled their chances of survival made him feel guilty. He didn't want to do it… They forced his paw.

He didn't realize it until now, but a quick glance at his right shoulder revealed a rather deep puncture wound, probably the result of a bite from his assailants. It bled, but his fur managed to slow the blood flow down to a simple drip, congealing it. Not that he was concerned, as there was an unconscious sloth on his back.

The more he thought about it, the more it ate at him just what it was Zeke must have been thinking when he was being attacked. It was quick and brutal, but Daxter was glad they even managed to escape. It was all too familiar; the feeling of fright, of anxiety overwhelming your emotions. The constant thought of dying during such an event was burdening to him.

"Is he okay?" Daxter forced himself to speak.

Desmond didn't respond, paying close attention to the bleeding wounds on his leg. The fur was soaked, and teeth marks littered his skin. He heaved a sigh before applying pressure to the deepest wound. Though it wasn't too bad at the moment, in the heat infection could spread quickly.

He placed a paw upon Zeke's head, and was relieved to find that there was no abnormal temperature.

"He's fine, just unconscious. We should find a place to camp soon so I can take care of him. Poor kid will probably have nightmares for weeks about this.."

"I don't think that's a good idea, Des. We're near the boat. Predators will be roaming this area." Desmond rose to speak, but fell silent. He wrinkled his nose to the smell of blood, fresh blood it seemed.

Daxter picked up the pace and reached the top of the hill so as to get a better vantage point. From there, the boat could be seen behind a rather active geyser field that violently erupted its steam from the natural holes in the ground with violent force.

At the smell once again invading his nose, Daxter turned his attention to the sound of grinding and cracking on his left. Above a mud pit lay the carcass of a deer, an eight point buck partially eaten. Standing over it dominantly was a thickly built saber tooth tiger, orange in color with bright blue eyes that stared into Daxter's soul.

He cleared his throat, met with silence by the predator that spotted them. Desmond knew what the scimitar was thinking; one step would be all it takes, and he would engage.

"You're making eye contact." He whispered, flicking Daxter's ear with his paw. "Why are you making eye contact?"

Silence gave the weasel an answer that words couldn't ascertain. Though he didn't understand the language of tigers very well, he knew the basics. Battling for territory, mates, and even bragging rights. He knew that facing each other was an act of aggression, as well as silent communication.

Which was exactly what he was doing. Desmond knew the saber wasn't in a position to kill for sport, too much was at stake. It was only when he turned to head the direction they had just come from that he realized there was something more behind their little staring contest.

He brushed it off, and the three continued on their way.

 **XI**

One of the many things Desmond had found himself to be adept in was the creation of campfires. Daxter had always appreciated this talent, taking in the warmth the flames offered gratefully.

Daxter took his place in the right, surrounded by a copse of trees that tangled their way around the trio. A very tired Zeke sat with his back against a small rock, his leg spread out towards the flames so as to allow the weasel to inspect it further.

Daxter, as usual, was watching the shadows dance around the fire.

"Just hold still for a second." Desmond said as he gripped the sloths leg.

"Does this hurt?" He squeezed lightly, applying a small amount of pressure to the swollen foot. Zeke grunted, and Desmond released the hold. His paws traveled further up to his leg, where he applied more pressure to it.

"Thank you for taking care of me."

Daxter folded his ears back. His interest on the sloth had deepened, asking himself how it is that the child keeps such good spirits despite such traumatic events occurring in his life. In a way, Daxter had to humor the idea that he reminded him of the scimitar himself. Resilience is key in this world, and the kid has it.

He had to give him kudos for that.

"What are you checking for?" Zeke asked. Another pained grunt escaped him, prompting the weasel to investigate his foot again. He'd already patched up the bite marks that painted his face and chest, with only slight discomfort felt along the wounds due to the numbing herbs he had placed on them.

"Uh.. Just making sure it's healing right." He said, eyes making contact with zeke's. Desmond offered a small smile, squeezing his foot below the heel. "Can you feel that?"

Zeke shook his head, anxiety evinced by the slight frown creeping across his face.

Desmond released a sigh, "You'll be fine. Your leg is just a bit swollen. The bite marks will heal as long as you don't touch them."

Daxter knew it was a lie.

"You don't sound so sure." Shakiness in his words led Desmond to suspect internal conflict. He patted the child's shoulder, his paw resting firmly on it.

"Your body is just trying to heal itself, Zeke. It wants to, but with your condition the process is a bit tough. You need rest, and plenty of it. I suggest you go to sleep and forget about today. Dax and I will keep watch."

Zeke turned to the tiger, who returned his gaze with a soft smile, reassuring the child that he was in good hands. Zeke complied, easing his body close to the fire he turned to rest comfortably on his side, coughing roughly before drifting off to sleep, exhaustion exhibited through his breaths.

Desmond rose and walked over to Daxter, who shifted his hip to give the weasel a place to sit. He promptly took up the offer, resting against his belly with both arms spread across his back. His long, slender body glowed as the flames licked the air, revealing small scars and slight imperfections within his fur.

When Desmond was sure the sloth was sleeping, he decided it was time to speak.

"You fought well."

"I didn't want to." Daxter's tone suggested guilt.

"You're a scimitar. Fighting is how you survive. I'm proud of you."

It was a change Desmond had hoped to see for a while. Daxter never really thought of himself as much of a fighter, he was one to use his speed to his advantage. Although happy to see the confidence boost in him, Desmond wished it occurred in a different manner.

Daxter decided it was time to change the subject, "I know you don't think he's going to live."

Desmond drew breath, speaking softly. "His foot is dying. He can't feel anything below the heel, and his leg is filling up with blood. I don't think it's just a sprain."

Dax swallowed hard, the words sinking in like daggers against his chest. "You could be wrong."

"You're right. But with how much pain he's in right now I doubt it. His mother didn't seem to know what she was talking about. His foot is twice the size of a normal sloth his age. He wouldn't be like this if she caught it early enough."

"Is there still a chance for him?"

Desmond thought about it. "I don't know."

It hadn't occurred then, but something about the way Desmond treated the boy was particularly peculiar to Dax. He was caring by nature, but knowing the child only a day he had grown quite attached; nurturing him with kind words that even he knew were lies altogether. Dax wouldn't, nor couldn't blame him.

In the end, Daxter understood how devastating it would be for this child to pass before they made it to the boat. Given Desmonds first attempt at fatherhood it was surely surreal for him to even think about a second chance being given to him. Daxter had known he was a gift, but Desmond understood that he could hold his own. This one however..

It was his own child that Desmond saw in Zeke. What he wanted to see, and what he thought he would see if his kid was still alive.

 _That's the most tragic part.._ he thought. _Broken hearts mend._

 **Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. It's been a bit since my last update, but here it is! I would like to thank everyone of you who read my story and have been here since chapter one. It's helped me want to continue writing, and as always I'm always enthusiastic about hearing your thoughts on it. Review or pm. Thanks again, the next part is in the works!**


	8. You Can't Save Everyone (Pt 4)

**You know, this is quite late in the game, but I felt it necessary.**

 **To Grantourer: It's good to see you again! Quite the hiatus there, mate, but all's well just the same. I thank you for the review, when I started this story, I wanted to make it feel a bit more realistic then the movie portrayed things. The first film worked nicely with the dark undertones not the second film sugar coated everything. With such a disaster afoot, the only mentions of fatalities came from the vultures. And yes, Desmond and Daxter are like a dynamic duo, but it also works against them as well, as you'll see in later chapters.**

 **To Emotionbending2016: You've been here since the beginning, and for that I thank you. I'm glad you're enjoying this, even with how busy you are.**

 **To the readers: I thank each and every one of you for taking the time to view my story, and for those who continue to read, a very special thank you for your time and patience with my updates.**

 **Enjoy!**

 _Chapter 2: "The Flood"_

 **Part IV**

 **XI**

Desmond slept.

He needed it, that was what Daxter told him. Besides, being the bigger animal, it was only natural that the larger mammal of the group take the night watch. It wasn't peaceful, though. With everyone left in the dream lands the young man found heavy thoughts conspiring in his own head.

Thoughts of the journey had started to eat at him slowly, the treachery involved was enough to give him nightmares. The exposure to such cruelty and disregard for life has left Dax to contend with the reality he was currently inhabiting. How could one hope to see better days in the wake of catastrophe? Images flashed of the herd. The mother, Rose was her name.. she chose her own life over Zeke's. Was it possible she knew of the boys demise? Pressured by the callous leadership by a brutish megaloceros..

Daxter glanced at the sleeping mammal. Just how it was that this child could survive such tragedy and have the hope left to continue was beyond him. For all they knew, Rose was long gone, or even dead for that matter.

Such similarities tied to his own struggle for reunion stuck out like a sore paw. For him, the idea that all of the effort he had put until it thus far could be for nothing… _Is_ for nothing…

There was no room for absolutes. He smiled. _No room.._

A soft sigh escaped him, lost in the darkness.

 _Two things, Daxter. Two things are certain in this world: Life, and death._ Sam's words echoed, reminding him of a time when things were much simpler.. so he thought. Life in his pack wasn't perfect, but it felt normal. The lessons his father taught him, Locke initiating fights between his siblings, and Sam with his constant bantering about hunts. He missed it.

"You look like you're constipated."

Dax cringed, realizing whose voice it was. He turned his gaze to a lounging weasel stroking the tigers back, his small claws just barely raking his skin through the thick fur.

"Did I wake you?" Daxter asked him.

"No," Desmond rubbed his eyes lazily, adjusting to the darkness surrounding his vision. A few seconds passed before he rested back into the tigers side, placing a paw on his leg, feeling his muscles tense. "What's wrong, Dax? Need to pass some gas?"

A sigh let him know that the conversation was of a more serious tone. Returning his gaze back to the sloth that was twitching in his sleep, Desmond listened to the small, pained grunts that were let out among the group, breaking the peacefulness of the night.

"How long has he been doing that?"

"Several hours." Dax stated.

Desmond stretched out, sliding away from Daxter's body. As he rose, several pops could be heard from his toes and arms as he walked over to the sleeping sloth.

"Desmond, let him sleep." Dax protested, but the weasel wasn't letting up.

He placed a paw upon Zeke's leg, and was met with a wild cry of pure agony. Daxter was sure he never heard such a frightening sound before in his entire life. The flailing child escaped Desmond's touch, retreating away from the weasel slightly. Blood had streaked the ground where his leg rested, telling him that the situation has just gotten worse..

Much worse.

He motioned with his paw for Daxter to come forth. The tiger obeyed, padding gracefully to the now wailing sloth.

"He's just going to check on it, Zeke."

Through the sobs, Zeke managed to speak. "It hurts so bad, why does it hurt so bad?"

Unable to find an answer, Daxter sought out the eyes of his companion while Zeke gripped his fur that covered his neck.

Desmond glanced at him with despondent orbs, "Your leg is dying, Zeke. It's full of blood."

"I thought it was just a sprain!?" His cries were frantic, with any small amount of pressure sending shots of pain throughout his leg. Desmond inspected it further, realizing the one way he could make it better. It was a long shot, but it was something.

"Daxter, give me a claw." The tiger did what he was told, extending a paw and unsheathing his claws. Des grasped it with his paws, guiding it down towards the afflicted leg.

"Put one paw on his chest. This is going to hurt."

"What are you doing? What-" Zeke found himself unable to finish his sentence, with a newfound intensity of pain brought forth by Desmond using the claw to cut his leg. It began with unfathomable pain, brought down to searing pain. After several minutes of protests and screaming, Zeke had for once been able to relax the smallest bit.

"What's happening, Des?" Dax inquired, watching blood pour out of the wound.

"I'm relieving pressure. In order for me to stop it I would actually have to go inside of the leg."

"We can't do that, he's a child!" Dax was surprised to find himself growling the words out to the weasel. One thing he found himself unable to do was sit by during one of Desmond's moments of playing doctor. Though Daxter admitted that he seemed to know what he was doing, the process was too explicit.

"I know, Dax!"

"I just want to go back to sleep, guys. Please let me do that.." Zeke gasped, exhausted from the sudden exertion of voice.

"How do you feel?" Des asked.

"Tired. I feel like I have no energy.."

"It'll just fill back up. You're probably dehydrated as well. Have you eaten?" He applied more pressure to the wound, the smell of the liquid filling their nostrils with it's copper-like odor.

"No.. No I haven't."

"Can't you give him some herbs?" Daxter shifted his paw on Zeke's chest, using his haunches to keep most of the pressure off of the smaller animal.

"No, I can't." Agitation arose in his voice.

Daxter out a small growl. "Why are you getting so mad at me?"

"Because he's dying, Dax! I _have_ to go inside the leg if he wants to live. Even if I do, he may still bleed out."

"Can you?"

"No." Desmond replied grimly.

"So what do we do?"

"I'm figuring that out!"

"Why are you taking this out on me? I want him to live just as much as you do!"

"I'm dying!?" Cries erupted from the horrified mammal, forced to listen to the argument.

Desmond couldn't think with the commotion. He knew he had to do something before the situation got worse. It was bad enough that the child's cries would be attracting predators for miles.

"Knock him out."

Daxter's ears, once again, perked at the flummoxing comment made by the animal in front of him. Of course, it took a second before he realized just what it was that he had heard.

He complied. Balling his paw up into a small fist, Daxter brought it down onto the small, writhing form beneath him, striking the side of the child's face. All went quiet.

"You know...I'm really gonna hate myself after this.."

"Okay… Okay. Now.." Desmond's paws trailed up and down the leg, feeling the indentations of the foot connecting to the joints. A small but prominent irregularity in the bone peaked his interest. He followed it up the sloths leg until an indentation was found along the midsection.

"It's no sprain. His leg was crushed by something."

Fear welled up inside of Daxter as the new information hit him like a mammoth.

"What do we do?"

Desmond swallowed hard. Bloody paws wiped the top of his head in thought. He knew what it was, but found himself unable to ask it of the young predator. It was..too emotionally distressing, he figured.

"Desmond…" A soft voice brought him back to reality, forcing back the burdensome thoughts.

"I uh.. I.." His voice had faltered. Bright blue eyes rose up to meet with Daxter's multicolored orbs, sadness protuberant within his expression.

"I need you to chew off his leg."

Daxter's face contorted, the reaction had come out exactly as Desmond had predicted. Stunned. He couldn't blame him, it wasn't something natural to ask, especially to a young adolescent.

"I can't-"

"I know."

Daxter stared, unblinking. Watching as a sniffling weasel, tough as they come, broke down in front of him. Nature, he knew, was unkind to some. Zeke was dying, and there was nothing they could do.

"We can't leave him." Dax leaned over to the teary eyed weasel, nuzzling him lightly. Desmond accepted his advance, wrapping his small arms around his neck in a tight embrace. His claws scratched at the fur, earning a purr from the feline.

"You're gonna carry him?"

"I could. There has to be someone who can help him."

Desmond sighed, partially annoyed by the scimitars persistence with the boy. "He could be dead weight. He may not even survive til morning."

"You don't know that."

"Dax.. You've gotta stop with this. We can't save everyone."

"Are you seriously suggesting we just leave him? How do you think he'd feel?" His voice cracked at the thought.

"When are you going to learn that there are things that we can't control? You have to learn to let go, Daxter."

"Is that what you thought about your own child? It's just a stillborn, right? Just let it go."

"Watch...it." Desmond growled out, his voice a deep rumble that projected internal rage, picked up swiftly by the tiger. Silence fell upon the two, and within moments both parties made their apologies towards one another.

"We're just stressed." Dax nodded, forgive and forget has always been an easy feat. Well… Most of the time. Desmond offered him a small smile to comfort the perturbed scimitar. He gave himself a moment to reflect on how deleterious such an ordeal can be to the mind of a hormonally unstable animal. The effects could be immense, and worst of all they could be permanent.

The pertinent distress caused by a helpless animal in need showed Desmond just how innocent the scimitar actually was. Knowing nothing of the world, while at the same having experienced such trauma in a short amount of time. His ability to maintain such innocence was perplexing to him.

"We should move now, while he's out. When he wakes up he'll be in even more pain. At this point, his leg is dead. Poor kid, he's had the worst of luck."

Daxter glanced down at the sleeping sloth, his mouth gaped open with his head turned towards the flames. He knew Desmond was right. Their only hope was to travel by night and day. Tomorrow was doomsday, no room for error.

"Okay." He said, scooping Zeke onto his back.

"We can make it there by midday if we don't stop."

"We may not have that much time." Dax replied. Desmond rubbed his paws together thoughtfully, attempting to come up with a plan of action for their next move. Ahead of them was a lot of traffic, animals for miles all commuting towards a single location. If they were to just walk in, they would no doubt spook the herd.

"Desmond." The weasel gazed at Daxter's eyes. "You still have blood on your paws."

"Let's just go. We should stick to the outer edge of the herds, we'll risk a stampede if we just waltz right in there." He glanced down at his paws, the viscous, sticky liquid stained his fur a dark red.

"Can you lick it off?"

He did.

 **XII**

Contested emotions enshrouded Daxter's mind as the two trekked out of the woods that night. Zeke was still unconscious, thankfully, but it wasn't going to last the whole night.

That was Desmond's worry. He knew that when the child wakes up they'd be in a world of trouble. To combat it, his search for numbing herbs began as soon as they started moving. So far, he had picked up some skullcap and chamomile, which he figured could be put to good use for his troubled feline.

Desmond had noticed the change in Daxter's sleeping habits when he reached the age of adolescence. He preferred to stay up at night, sometimes consecutively just to avoid sleep in general. He'd hunt, run around and sightsee all morning and stay up all night.

And when he did sleep, the nightmares would force him to awake in the middle of the night. Occasionally Desmond would find him huddled up and in tears. Sometimes, without explanation, he would just stare. It was something Desmond couldn't make sense of; in an attempt to find a solution, the weasel turned to what worked for him.

He'd tried the works, with brews being the easiest way to get the medicine into the stubborn animal. Valerian, the first experiment, was a success for a while. It brought Desmond great relief to see the distraught scimitar sleep soundly for the first few nights. Then one night it just didn't work, and Daxter awoke in a screaming fit.

Then came lavender. Major failure.

The weasel vowed never to force something down his throat again. His memory pointed to one instance in particular, where he found himself ballsy enough to shove his paw down the feeding predators throat as he was chewing on a piece of meat... long story short, it got all over him.

Depression had definitely taken it's toll on the young man. Stemming from the trauma sustained by the attack when he was a cub, Daxter never truly got over it. It could be directed at a sort of fatherly instinct; Desmond felt it was his responsibility to help him however he could, offering strength through his bond with Dax.

Still, there was only so much he could do to help.

 **XIII**

Daxter was certain Desmond loved him. There was no question about it. What kind of animal would forget about everything that happened to them just to devote their time to a more powerful and deal creature than themselves? And that's exactly what Daxter was...a killing machine. The very thing that, under different circumstances would surely have killed Desmond for food.

The days and nights he'd spent awake were most of the time some of the best. With nothing but his thoughts Daxter found invitation swirling about constantly. Sometimes, indulgence could be painful, but he found these moments to be therapeutic.

Flames, ambience, and a canvassed permeation of stardust and moonlight provided thought with the nurturing guidance of the lights of old. It was something he cherished greatly.

Despite this, The company he received from the weasels presence was what truly calmed him. It was almost as though he was _gifted_ to Dax, offered to be a sanctuary during such a troubling time in his early life. And Daxter never once doubted that, assured with the knowledge that had it not been for said weasel, he would be dead right now.

Under Desmond, Daxter had learned patience, understanding, and attentiveness. He developed skills in survival, learning to evade, plan and act on his instincts. Solo hunts were difficult, due to his species being pack hunters. To rectify this problem, Desmond jumped in as a wingman, though he had no business in hunting big game due to his size.

His commitment to the growing male was what Daxter appreciated the most out of all things. It instilled in him a sense of duty, and persistence in his pursuits that Desmond deemed admirable.

When it came to those pursuits, Daxter found letting go to be the hardest action to take. And this was the only thing Desmond felt at fault for.

 **XIV**

The waning hours of the night were spent traveling. An unconscious Zeke, and a weary weasel sitting upon the scimitars back as they made their way through the final miles to their destination. Tendrils of wood and leaves cast shadows upon the ground under the luminous moon, creating illusions of entities that danced around the darkness.

The movement of animals trying to make their escape could be heard outside the tree line. Curiously enough, everyone avoided the forestry, whether out of superstition or fear was irrelevant. Daxter caught sight of them just a few miles away from their "boat". It was the very same herd they had encountered before. It wasn't that much of a surprise to them, they had pretty much kept their pace despite the obstacles put in their path.

"Rose has to be here." Dax noted, observing the living wave of faces as they passed, Brutus giving a passing glance towards the small predator standing in the shadows of the treeline. There was no sound, and it was the silence itself that struck the two the hardest. Their focus was on nothing but their own footsteps. The burden of life found itself heaved into the chaos, and all who listened clung to the desperation of breath, blood and flesh.

They were zombies, walking with the thought of death attached to their backs. Some faltered.

"It's disconcerting." Desmond said, breaking the silence.

"They just keep their eyes forward, it's like they don't even care that I'm here." A rumbling sound escaped the feline.

"You're hungry."

"I can't eat now."

"The ones at the back of the herd are sick and dying-"

"And what about Zeke?" Dax pointed out, "Am I supposed to just drop him and go kill something? I'm not eating now."

Desmond sighed in defeat, turning his attention back to the moving herd.

"Alright then, let's keep moving." Daxter obeyed, and they stuck to the shadows. His ability to move freely and without making considerable noise was crucial, if they caused panic now they would surely be trampled. He took his time, weaving through patches of rocks and leaves, avoiding the tiniest stick as best he could to ensure their concealment.

His eyes were his ally, and he kept them glued to the boat.. Their sanctuary, and the only way out of this dilemma. He questioned the integrity of it, wondering if it could truly hold this many animals in the wake of the massive flooding waters bearing down upon them from miles away. It seemed too good to be true, but he wanted to believe it was the right decision just as badly as anyone else.

It was belief that kept him going. It wasn't a fact, but it wasn't false. It wasn't something he could see, grasp or hear. It was a feeling. And it was in this that he found indefatigable strength; a small possibility that was better than giving up in his eyes, the strength to keep going. To cling to life.

"I thought he was lying, you know."

Desmond perked his ears, giving Daxter his full attention.

"The vulture. I figured he was just sending us to our deaths."

"And we willingly left." Des added.

"So did everybody else." Daxter noted, following the massive crowd of creeping mammals

"Not everyone."

Daxter stepped over a rock that jutted out of the ground, it's point brushed the padding underneath his paw. He ignored it, the odd feeling it gave him breaking his focus for but a moment. It was going to be a bit of a trip.

 **XV**

Daylight crept over the mountains of the valley as they traveled, creating hues of pink and yellow that streaked across the sky, illuminating the myriad creatures, small and large that crawled, walked and ran towards safety. The night was long and arduous for the scimitar, who trekked nonstop to ensure their reservation for salvation.

Unconscious, but still breathing, Zeke swayed lightly against the movement of Daxter's hips, with Desmond taking charge of babysitting the child. His eyes strayed from Zeke's face to his leg, observing the visible swelling. Underneath the fur, hues of blue and purple protruded from the skin.

 _His condition.. It's deteriorating.._ He noted to himself.

"Desmond." The weasel broke away from the sloth to meet Daxter's gaze, sighting in front of him a massive field ahead of what they came for:

The boat; It's massive form casted a shadow against the rocky floor full of massive breaks in the earth that leaked hot, moist steam from the cracks.

"The geyser field." Daxter took a step back, the hot air hit his face like a brick.

"Be careful. If we're on top of one of those things when it blows we're dead."

"It's a minefield, Des. How will I know where it's safe to pass?"

Desmond jumped off of his back, cautiously easing up to one of the cracks. Steam leaked out of the earthy pore, sending a small amount of moisture creeping onto his face. The ground rumbled, small tremors could be felt beneath his feet. A sudden explosion of energy jerked him away from the inactive geyser, watching two more release the steam held within ahead of them.

Desmond shuddered, pushing away troubling thoughts. Now wasn't the time to lose focus.

"Alright, so you need to pay attention to the ground beneath you. The intensity of the rumbling will tell you which geyser is about to blow."

"That sounds dangerous." Dax said, his voice shaky and unsure.

"Oh now you're concerned for your safety?" Des hopped onto his shoulder, using his fur to climb back up to his back.

"Don't judge."

Zeke murmured softly, causing the weasel to stop dead in his tracks. "Oh no.."

Daxter sought his eyes out, "You heard him too?"

"He's regaining consciousness. We have to get moving." The herd, led by Brutus, had already started to cross the geyser field, paying little attention to the three in the wake of the disaster. The boat was filling up with animals that made it there before them, and Desmond was beginning to think their spots weren't so secure..

"Alright, come on let's go. The field isn't too active, we still have time." Des signaled Daxter to follow him.

"How do you know that?"

"The vulture said that-"

Desmond found himself interrupted by a flurry of voices that bellowed from the herd. He turned around, spotting a fight that broke out among two mammals within the gathering crowd. Cheers and taunts trumpeted the area.

"Dax, let's get across."

The tiger stood still, staring down the two mammals. One of them was an elk, tall and thickly built. His ears picked up the argument; the two were fighting about who was worthy of gaining a spot on the boat, something about genetic purity.

A moan brought him out of his stupor. He felt the shift in weight on his backside, indicating to him that Zeke had come back.

"Uh… He's waking up, Desmond." Anxiety formed a lump in his throat that he couldn't seem to shake. This was a very desperate time, and one wrong move would spell disaster.

Desmond stopped dead in his tracks, "That's… not good.." He made his way back to the worried tiger, "Okay. We need to move. Now." The emphasis placed on the word told Dax just how bad things really were.

"Can you distract him?" Dax asked, almost pleadingly. scooping up the weasel before heading through the Geyser field. He attempted to ignore the raging wave of mammals traveling towards the boat,choosing instead to focus on not dying. They've come too far in this toiling journey to have it all end in a plume of hot steam.

Desmond complied. Zeke placed his paw at the top of his head, dizzy and disoriented. Upon realizing where he was, he shot up to meet Desmond's eyes with his own. A perturbed expression spread across his face as he glanced down at his leg. It was severely swollen, and as it was he could barely feel anything in it.

"Hey. You're gonna make it." Desmond smiled softly, attempting to reassure the distressed child. Zeke whimpered as he finally felt a familiar pain shoot from his leg.

A pained grunt escaped him, followed closely by a shrill cry as a Geyser clipped Daxter's rear. The tiger stumbled to the right, searing pain overcoming him in the moment.

"Come on, Dax! Keep moving!" Desmond covered Zeke's leg from the geyser spewing hot steam.

"Just enjoy the ride!" Dax said beneath his breath as he came back to his senses from the pain. It burned, but it wasn't as bad anymore. He returned his attention to the ground as another rumble was emitted from the earth. A geyser exploded to the right, prompting him to sidestep it just in time.

"It's like a game.."

"That is the worst kind of mindset to have right now!" Desmond retorted. Zeke let out a pained cry, forcing him back to his own zone of action, but not before giving the back of Daxter's head a dirty glance.

Daxter's hackles raised at the sight of two more geysers blowing off steam ahead of him. He heard the cries of several mammals falling victim to a couple more off to his left. He couldn't bear to look. He pushed forward, dodging two consecutive blowouts, the second one barely nicking his paw.

He could see the other side drawing close. A wave of relief came over him.

 _Almost there…_

He could feel the weight of the mammals on his back bearing down on him now, having carried them for so long it took its toll. His back paws became sore, tender to the touch on the rough terrain beneath him. He would have Desmond look at it later.

 _If we make it._

A bone chilling cry was let loose to Daxter's right, several feet away. He quickly followed the noise straight to the herd, witnessing the wave of mammals panic. His heart began to race as he spotted a female sloth curled up underneath a sea of feet. His instincts attempted to force him to look the other way, but stubbornness was a fault he found tough to dig. She was being trampled, but as it was he couldn't bear another passenger and be able to move quickly enough.

"Dax, we're dead if we don't keep moving!"

He took action. Mustering up strength enough to move, Daxter made his decision. A Geyser exploded up ahead, forcing him to parry. Just a few feet from the other side, his footing fell from underneath him, both passengers hit the ground with Desmond falling underneath him. Daxter grunted as he hit with a dull thud. He felt a sharp pain pulsing from his paw, but ignored it.

Another geyser blew. Dax jumped up, grunting with effort from the pain in his right paw. His body ached from the exertion of their three day trip. Desmond rose, immediately coming to his aid despite having the two hundred plus pound predator fall upon him like dead weight. A slight limp became of him, sending Dax into a frenzied worry.

"Dax, are you okay? Are you hurt?" Desmond placed his paws on the felines face, cupping his cheeks to draw his attention.

He didn't respond. In an act of spontaneity, Daxter picked up Desmond with his teeth, and threw him to the other side. Zeke whimpered from behind him, prompting Dax to scoop him up and offer words of comfort from the pain he felt.

He glanced back at the direction of the herd, scanning for a sign of the sloth. He was certain it was Rose, but he needed to be sure. To reunite the boy with her despite his condition. If it was a chance, he would take it.

His eyes darted frantically to find her, stooping to find a form surrounded by paws that ran, tripped and stomped their way to safety. It wasn't moving, and several kicks from unknowing mammals showed signs of lifelessness.

Crushed.

He turned away, getting Zeke to safety was his priority now.

 _CRACK!_ The sound was deafening to his ears, leaving Daxter petrified as a large block of ice fell to the ground. A small tremors could be felt beneath his feet, and the sounds of mass hysteria filled the valley like thunder.

"Daxter, haul tail!"

He did. The feline found the meaning of haste, dodging his way out of the active minefield with a screaming sloth wrapped around his neck, holding on for his life. Upon clearing it, he was met with the angry eyes of a weasel, standing less than a foot tall, but with the voice and toughness of three fully grown sabers. At least, that's what Daxter concluded.

He folded his ears apologetically, clearing his throat in preparation of the scolding he was about to receive. But it never came. Instead, rather than cause a scene, Desmond folded his arms, and spoke four simple words that would be stuck in his head for eternity:

"Was it worth it?"

Daxter attempted to find the right answer, searching the recesses of his mind to justify his actions. Had Desmond known about Rose? Was it literal rather than rhetorical the question he asked? Finding no such answer, the adolescent bowed his head slightly, avoiding eye contact with Desmond.

"You could've died."

"She was there…" Dax replied, silently chastising himself for his disregard for Zeke's life.

"Who?"

"My mom? Is that who you saw?" Zeke's eyes lit up, and he grunted to sit up on Daxter's back.

"Rose. She was there, on the ground. I thought I could reach her."

"Daxter. You might want to look again." Desmond pointed to the Geyser field, now empty with but a few stragglers attempting to catch up. Daxter scanned for signs of her, but found nothing. No body. No sloth.

Nothing. So… What _did_ he see?

"You're hallucinating. You haven't eaten in days. You're probably dehydrated as well…" Desmond brought his eyes up to the massive structure the animals were flocking to. We should get on the boat and wait it out."

"But-"

Desmond put up a paw, silencing him. "She may be on the boat already. We can search there."

Daxter didn't offer any more protest. Picking up his weasel, the three headed up the trail to the boat, in hopes that this "salvation" will hold true.

Desmond thought otherwise, but for Daxter..hope was all he had.


	9. Do No Harm (Pt 5)

**Finally! The finale! Part 5 is here! Enjoy all!**

 _Chapter 2: "The Flood"_

 **Part V**

 **XVI**

Zeke's deteriorating condition was causing Desmond to become anxious. His leg had become inflamed, and very tender to the touch. The swelling hadn't gone down at all either.

His focus on the youngling was becoming barred by the flurry of bodies surrounding him. Voices shouting, crying and screaming have overwhelmed his ears. Animals were scrambling from all directions with blatant disregard for smaller mammals making their way to safety. Desmond was certain a few were trampled, but he kept his focus on the boat up ahead.

Daxter made his best attempts to flow through the barrage of bodies that littered the path ahead. His body was rocked back and forth by the mammals bursting through the crowd. He found it difficult to keep his balance, shoved between animals both small and large.

"Dax! Just push through!" Desmond shouted, only for it to be lost amongst the sound of a bellowing elk.

It was a harrowing scene to him. Mammals stampeding mindlessly around him, paying little attention to whomever is unfortunate enough to stand in the way. Amidst the surreal chaos, Daxter found his will to fight onward, resisting the wave of bodies. He carried the heavy thought of failure in his mind, for but a mere moment contemplating the ineffable consequences of his inability to perform.

Several feet away, he heard the sounds of voices, calling out. Unlike the others, theirs seemed to be calling out a name. Daxter tuned in, attempting to figure out what it was they were saying.

"Ellie!"

No one he knew of. Within seconds the voices became amplified, telling Daxter that whoever it is was not only coming closer, but moving against the crowd and, for some improbably justified reason… Heading away from the boat.

"Ellie!" He heard the voice again, this time right by his ears. He glanced over his shoulder quickly, dodging several oncoming mammals. There were two possums traveling on a saber toothed tiger heading down the hill, straight towards a mammoth who denoted his position with his trunk.

"Have you seen…" the voices became distant, lost in a sea of words. Daxter kept his eyes locked on the mammals for a while longer, absentmindedly. There were no thoughts running through his head, no analytical inferences or summations being made to rationalize the whole situation. He was just… there.

Like everything else, he too was just trying to survive.

 **XVII**

"Hey."

"Yeah?"

"You did good, big guy."

 **XVIII**

The boat was, as Daxter had suspected, cramped. In a way it was almost unreal the way the situation seemed to unravel. Here they were, on a boat that was conveniently carved out in the event of a preconceived disaster involving the flooding of the valley. Not only this, but said boat was made to carry every living animal in said valley?

"Okay, we gotta get him off of your back, Daxter." Desmond stated. He hopped off of the scimitars back and landed on the wood. The bottom was rather smooth, but what caught the weasels attention the most was just how smooth it actually was, not a single splinter or crack despite the exteriors rugged shape. The log appeared to be hollowed out using some sort of tool… But the answer to that question eluded him. One thing was sure to him:

It couldn't have been made by the humans.

"Hey! Watch it!"

A black wolf stumbled towards his direction, nearly missing him with her large paws. He ducked down as she passed over him, colliding into Daxter before hitting the wood face first. Desmond couldn't help but chuckle at the sight.

"You gonna try to take a chunk out of me, wolf? I'll end ya life before the water gets t' ya! That I guarantee!"

"I did nothing of the sort!" The black she-wolf growled, attempting to raise herself from the ground. The deer, male and older due to his rack size, lowered his head in a threatening gesture towards the wolf.

"I didn't grow these antlers just to lose them to a rogue runt!"

"I'm looking for my mate, just let me through!"

"Not on my watch, _predator._ I have a family too!" The deer let out a deep growl, indicating to the wolf that he wasn't letting her get any closer.

"If you don't let me through…" The she wolf stepped over Desmond, never once making eye contact but moving with enough caution for him to know she acknowledged his presence.

The increasing tension was enough to cause alarm. One sidestep was all that would be needed and Zeke would be in the path of a fully grown block of angry muscle fully equipped with a death rack.

Time to play diplomat.

The she wolf advanced, but paused when she felt a small paw fall upon her chest. Puzzled, she gazed down to find Desmond shouting for the two to stop fighting.

At first glance, she found it to be laughable. Here was a half a snack with a plan to kill himself by getting in between her and the man she was planning on killing. If she wasn't exhausted from the trek, she would've eaten him.

She let him live.

"I need some names."

"I'm not giving you nothin', rodent."

Desmond glared at the buck. "We're about to bear witness to perhaps the greatest disaster ever conceived on this land, and you two want to fight about.. What, her looking for someone she loves? We're about to be flooded. You know what that means?" Both parties stared at him, both anxious and confused.

"It means that within minutes this place will be surrounded by water. Enough water to swallow all of us whole."

The buck grunted, "She stepped into my territory-"

"Just so we're clear, I don't remember seeing your name written on this boat, Mr…"

The buck, so clearly captivated by the weasels unwillingness to back down, caved.

"Talos."

"Nice to meet you, Talos. Desmond is my name." He turned to the she wolf.

"And you?"

A soft rumble escaped her lips. She drew breath, "Alice."

"Alice. Now that we all know each other..I suggest we try to abstain from killing ourselves until we've escaped this impending doom."

Talos shifted, the words seemed to swirl about inside of his head, but it was obvious to Desmond that he would be a stubborn one indeed.

"You're really that dead set on killing her?"

After a few more moments of deliberation, he stepped back from the two and made his way back to the groaning sloth accompanied by Daxter. Zeke was leaning on the edge of the boat towards the front, his bloody leg clearly in bad shape.

"Hey rodent." A voice called out.

He turned.

"If you want to die, all you have to do is say so. That was really stupid." Alice stated bluntly, passing by the buck into the crowd, disappearing into a sea of faces, never to be seen again.

"Who was she?"

"I don't know, how is he?"

"I feel sick.." Zeke stated wearily. His eyes were heavy, and his labored posture told Desmond that he was very weak at the moment.

"Alright, keep your leg absolutely still. Moving it around only agitates it more. When this is over we'll find someone who can help you."

Zeke sniffled, feeling hope warm up his chest as the words, so vigilantly said, stuck with him. It was a moment that Desmond would surely remember, as the glint he caught in the child's eyes reminded him of a promise he had made.

"You really mean it?" He asked.

Desmond swallowed. Hard. "I'm gonna fix you, Zeke. I'll take care of you."

He realized, within the seconds ticking by before their doom, that he had finally become attached to the boy. And for the time being, it was a mistake he'd come to accept with loving bliss.

 **XIX**

"Just stay together, boys."

Daxter, so captured by the chaos surrounding him, tuned in on the voice coming from ahead of him. It was the voice of a woman, a female saber with three small cubs, huddled towards the bow of the boat. The pointed edge jutted out several feet in front of her, with nothing but a couple feet of space to move around. The cubs, all male, were shaking with fright.

"Seto will be here soon, you know your father." She reassured them. She was slender in build, her big paws seemed disproportionate to her forelegs, though her neck has a nice, thick build to it. Daxter noticed the grey pelt she sported, though all of her offspring carried orange coats themselves.

One of the cubs began to move, anxious of the cramped space. He strayed from her as she struggled to keep the other two together, turning her back for just a minute. Daxter smiled slightly as the cub started walking clumsily towards the group.

"Hey Desmond."

"What, Dax?"

"We got company." A small _umph_ escaped the cub as he fell on his belly, just a few feet from Zeke. Desmond stared at the cub, unamused by the scene. His attention quickly fell back on Zeke.

"Alright little guy, you need to stay with Mama." Dax picked up the cub, carrying it by the scruff to ensure its safety as he transported it. The sabers eyes met his with…well, she definitely didn't seem too happy to see her son in the jaws of another predator.

She snarled threateningly, a warning to release the child.

"Ahem.." he complied. The cub smiled brightly as it waddled back to the saber.

"He uh.. Got curious. I figured I'd return him."

"Step away from my children." She growled at him, unsheathing her claws in defense.

Daxter took a step back, understanding of her unwillingness to trust him. "Sure, sorry for the trouble." He took a moment to glance at a series of a scars that raked her left flank. The fur was gone, and the scars looked deep enough to have been fatal.

 _No wonder she's jumpy.. She's been through some tough times.. still, what a body._

"What's your name, kid?" She asked. Daxter didn't reply, caught off guard by the sudden question. He knew she was just trying to get information, nothing more.

"Daxter.."

"Hm. Well.. Thank you, Daxter." Her demeanor had softened, a bit more comfortable with the situation now that formalities were in place.

"You've yet to tell me your name." Dax replied after the moment of silence became too much for him.

"Why should I?"

"Well, I did return your child to you." Dax gave her a playful grin, his small canines glinting in the sun.

She contemplated her response. It was apparent that she was still very untrusting of him, and unwanting of the situation as it is. She pulled in one of her cubs who was attempting to escape her grasp, blocking it with her paw.

"Lara. My name is Lara."

"Lara? That's a pretty name." Daxter stated. "Listen Lara, I'm sure your mate will be back soon, where did he go?"

"He was searching for our cub. It went missing before we made it on the boat."

"You must've gotten here pretty early. He's been gone for a while, then."

Lara sneered, "You're quite the observant one." Her gaze left his, straying out towards the land, worry washing over her face like a blanket.

"Don't worry, I'll keep you company, you look like you could use some help with your cubs anyway." It was a bold move, considering the circumstances. Daxter wasn't too savvy when it came to talking with women, in fact he would often find himself to be the awkward one when around the opposite sex.

 _You just met… What are you gonna do next? Ask her to marry you?_

Lara looked at him with discontent, I don't trust you. I barely even know you."

"Like I said, I returned your kid, I could've just eaten him."

That reply didn't bode well. Lara advanced with aggression at the comment, showing rows of razor sharp teeth to the scimitar. Daxter took another step back towards Zeke and Desmond, frightened by idea of having to fight at the moment. Lara moved in, only stopping to hear the sound of a whimpering child reach her ears.

"Is he yours?" Lara spoke, eyeing the small sloth during against the boat as a weasel attempted to aid his leg. The whole thing seemed… Off. But she had to know for sure.

"Yes."

"Who's the weasel?"

"None of your business. He's mine." It was his turn to show aggression, letting a low growl escape before it faded into tension.

"So you're traveling with a weasel and a sloth?"

"We saved the sloth." Dax replied.

"He looks like he's dying."

"We found him in pretty bad shape."

Lara seemed to relax, the story unfolding in front of her caused subconscious movement. She sat down, never once did her eyes leave sight of the sloth.

"Why?" She asked. Daxter was confused by the question at first, but he perked his ears at the realization of the subject she was asking about. She wanted to know why he helped the sloth.

"Because he has a chance."

Lara stared silently at the sloth, who was grunting painfully as Desmond lightly squeezed his leg. Daxter didn't know why, but he figured she knew he wasn't going to make it, an opinion told to him by Desmond many a time.

"That's… Very thoughtful of you."

As if on cue, one of Lara's cubs tripped while attempting to crawl underneath her. It fell upon her leg, scrambling to get back up on its own. The uneven ground made it difficult, but it persisted anyway.

"Crazy little thing, isn't he?"

"They're relentless." She sighed, and to Dax it seemed she was thinking about something. Her eyes poured over the mewing cub that was now nipping at her paws, growling lightly as it tried to tear at it's prey.

"Maybe some company wouldn't be so bad. They're my last of seven."

Daxter contemplated this.

"Sven, Delsyn, and Jack." She nodded her head at the cub beneath her. It was the largest of the trio, and the most rambunctious. Dax lost himself as it looked up at him with curious, but knowing eyes. They were a bright grey, but in the sun they shined a dull green like his mother.

 _Like a ghost, you are..._

"Are you okay?"

"Hm?" Dax heard her, but it was an instinctive response.

" _ **BOOM!"**_

 **XX**

Daxter didn't have the time to comprehend what it was that just transpired. All he knew was that he was now bearing witness to the greatest natural disaster of his lifetime. The wall that had kept the water at bay had broken into pieces, sending millions of gallons of water rushing their way.

Waves devoured the land with insatiable hunger. Water did away with land, drowning everything that wasn't on high ground. Mammals of all kinds were swallowed, their last cries now a burning memory in Daxter's mind as he stood helpless to the situation.

But they made it.

His eyes were wide with fear as the water closed the distance with impressive speed. He heard a loud crashing sound before the boat was thrown off of it's post and into the water. The impact sent him off of his feet, slamming into Lara. Disorientation set in until heard her voice screaming his name. Several thumps, a splash and high pitched cries let loose before he was able to get back on his feet.

Desmond came to his aid, bringing him back to reality. His voice was the only thing Daxter sought, but the impact on his head left him with a ringing sensation. The feeling of something trickling down his head and into his fur told Dax that his wound, wherever it may be was bleeding.

"Dax, get up!"

He did. Daxter forced himself to rise with shaky legs. His paws were numb, and his back hurt, but other than that he was fine. He had to be.

Another cry broke his focus on Desmond. Dax reeled to find Lara clinging to the boat for dear life. His body surrendered to instinct, amid the chaos he found soundness in his decisions. With a single leap he slammed his body onto the edge, reaching out with his paws to try and save the female. Something felt off to him, and a single glance told him why. Teary eyed and terrified, Lara held in her teeth a mewing cub. Jack.

Where were the other two?

No time for troubling thoughts, as arbitrary as that sounded to him. He stretched out his paw, desperately yelling for her to grasp it, hell even claw at it. Lara closed her eyes, resounding cries of terror echoed in his ears before she locked eyes with him.

"Just look at me! Look at me, Lara." He said, extending his paw further in an attempt to reach her. Claw marks dug deep into the wood trailed her path as she started to climb. Water soaked onto her fur, it was cold and unforgiving as waves began thrashing against her body, beating her with it's overwhelming power.

"Talos! Talos!" Daxter turned around, realizing now that she wouldn't be able to hold on much longer. His voice reached Desmond, who left Zeke to get the attention of the buck. It was obvious to Dax he wasn't happy about it, but the stubborn buck caved and came to help.

"Hold on, Lara!" Desmond directed Talos to use his antlers in an attempt to secure the female. His tines scraped the wood as he did so. Daxter supported him by gripping his back with his claws, a daring but necessary action that was mutually found by the buck.

Lara extended her paw to grab at the antlers. The water had started to pull her in further, bringing her dangerously close to drowning. Deep claw marks showed Talos just how far she had been dragged down.

"If you want to live then you better grab on, woman! You're lucky I'm here!"

"Is that necessary? She's trying!" Dax countered, digging his claws deeper into the buck out of anger. Desmond had already climbed on and grabbed the cub from her mouth. It protested against him, causing slight imbalance due to its weight, but Desmond managed.

"Come on, Lara!" Dax once again attempted to reach out to her, his claws mere inches from her own. Lara clawed at the wood, pushing herself out of the water with great effort. She was exhausted, running out of strength.

"Do it! Keep pushing!" Desmond jumped onto Talos, watching the scene on his back.

"You've got ten seconds to grab on or I'm letting you die, tiger!"

"Not helping!" Daxter growled menacingly at the buck, fed up with the comments.

Lara made another attempt to raise herself from the icy waters. Wave after wave crashed into her body, forcing her into the boat. Sore and drained of energy, she sat still against the boat with her claws dug in as far as they would go.

It was as though she had given up. Daxter wouldn't have it.

"Lara, come on, you're close! Just a bit further!"

"Dax, you're slipping!"

Lara held her gaze with Dax for what seemed like forever. Her bright grey eyes burned into his multicolored orbs. Overwhelming terror flooded his body, freezing his ability to move. He felt paralyzed, unable to help in any way.

"Dax! Get off of the edge!"

"She's a goner, I'm done with this!" Talos bellowed as he stormed off. Desmond started tugging on Dax's tail, trying to gain his attention just enough to tell him of the wave heading straight towards them.

Lara turned away from Dax. For but a second did she realize that her fate was sealed as the wave came crashing into the boat with immense force. Her body collided with the boat, enveloped by the water as a sickening snap reached Daxter's ears. An agonized cry quickly followed before she vanished, swallowed whole by the icy waters surrounding them.

Daxter found himself thrown back onto the floor. His head must've struck the wood, because he found himself dizzy and imbalanced again. He struggled to raise himself up, sure that he was suffering from a second concussion within a single day...

"Desmond…"

"You'll be alright, just sit still." The weasel advised see he examined the injury.

"Where's the cub?"

"It was here a second ago. I'm not sure. I think-"

"Talos…" Dax growled, stumbling over to the buck who appeared to be fumbling with something on the ground. Daxter could hear the sounds of small mews and feared the worst.

"Let it go, Talos!"

The buck turned around, revealing a small cub within his jaws.

"It won't survive without it's mother. Daddy won't be finding it either."

"Let it go." Dax commanded. Desmond backed him up, clinging onto his back, but keeping an eye on a passed out Zeke. He was secure and the least of Desmond's worries at the moment.

"You predators think you're the rulers of these lands..I lost my wife and child to your kind!"

"So you're gonna kill it out of business? To get revenge? She had nothing to do with it!" Dax advanced on the buck, causing the mammal to jump into a defensive position, the cub swaying violently in his grasp.

"I'm not doing it out of business.. This is for the pleasure. You try anything and you'll be next."

Daxter realized he couldn't do it alone. "Is anyone going to intervene? He's going to kill this child!"

No response.

"Anyone!" Nothing.

"Weak.. You'd be wise to go back to your sloth friend there. He looks like he could use your help more than this pitiful _cat."_

Without warning, he reared his massive head, heaving the small child into the air, where it splashed into the water and disappeared for a second before resurfacing. Panicked cries could be heard for what felt like forever before the cub succumbed to exhaustion.I Talos smiled maddeningly, pleased with his work.

Anger led to hatred, and the distraction proved fatal to Talos. Daxter lunged, striking the side of the massive buck with enough force to knock it onto its side. He stumbled, striking the wood with his antlers. Daxter didn't give him time to recover from the initial blow, with a single leap he unsheathed his claws and raked them down the side of his back.

Age had done a number on the buck. It was ruthless, causing him to be slow and clumsy. Daxter knew he was still a deadly foe, but he didn't care at the moment. Talos growled low in his chest before swinging his massive rack towards Dax, with the obvious intention of stabbing him with his tines.

Dax sidestepped his attack, clawing at his neck. Blood began to pour from the wound, and within seconds the buck had collapsed from exhaustion.

It was over. Talos realized then it wasn't about murder.. No. As he lay in a pool of his own blood, the giant deer understood finally the intention of the attack. With several others of his own species no doubt having observed the fight, it went without saying that a loss at his age meant to the female that he was unfit for mating.

Dax crippled his chance to spread his genes. A fate far worse than death in his eyes.

Talos searched for his mate with his eyes, sharp huffs told Dax that he wouldn't be getting up for a while. Daxter didn't care.

"Dax, are you hurt!?" Desmond gripped the tigers face and locked eyes with him. He could see the grief, the shock from the vulgar display of power left Daxter with a haunted gaze. He would never forget what happened today.

"That was mighty stupid of you. Brave.. But stupid." Desmond said softly. He didn't condone his actions, but without any effective way to prevent the fight he had no choice but to stay on the sidelines. It was clear to him that no matter how long the two have been traveling together, no matter how many obstacles they've faced.. Desmond was still unsure of the scimitars capabilities.

And as he stood there, dominant over the buck he had just beaten, Desmond came to the conclusion that he was turning into a formidable opponent.

Teeth showing and lips curled into a menacing snarl as Talos attempted to raise himself, Daxter was drawn back into his predatory instinct. Pure anger raged throughout his body, but the weasel could see within his eyes conflicting emotion. He didn't want to fight.

"Can we just focus on Zeke now, Dax? You've shed enough blood."

Daxter let out a huff, defiant of his companions suggestion.

"You've won. Come out of it."

Daxter's eyes remained trained on the bloodied animal struggling to stand. "Will you let go of my face? You're pulling my fur."

Desmond released his grip. Dax retreated back to the sloth, calmly taking his place next to the wounded child and pressing his shoulder against Zeke's head to cushion it. Desmond realized the sloth had passed out, alerting him of the fact that he was still losing blood.

" _ **CRACK**_ **!"**

Both mammals froze as the sound filled their ears. The cries of terrified mammals filled the air as the ice wall began to separate. Cracks raced to the top of the wall of ice. They split sporadically, allowing water to leak through to unseen lands.

Desmond exhaled, releasing air he had no idea he was withholding. What could've done this? His eyes strayed to the receding water, relieved to watch the boat slowly descend back onto the ground.

Land never sounded like better terrain to him. He vowed never to complain about stepping on a rock again.

Other animals murmured to others about their uncertainty. Daxter was surprised to hear one in particular suggest that they were going to be swept off of the Earth. He was even more surprised to hear his idea of a massive waterfall just beyond the breaking ice wall.

Daxter padded over to the bow of the boat, leaning over the edge to get a glimpse of the action. There was a sigh of relief as traces of land poked out from beneath the watery grave.

"Desmond…"

The weasel turned his attention to his companion. He climbed atop The tigers back and was met with a rather gruesome scene. The sight of mammals who didn't make it on to the boat were floating above the few feet of water that remains. Remains themselves that were unidentifiable to his eyes forced him to face the grim reality that for those who didn't make it… Their end wasn't painless.

"We're alive, Dax. That's all that matters."

 _We're alive.._

 **XXI**

The land turned to ruin from the disaster, littering the ground with sedimen, trees that have been torn apart and the graves of several mammals buried by the survivors.

After the water receded, most left within a couple hours following. It didn't seem like a hard choice: stay and die, or leave. For Zeke, Daxter and Desmond, the choice was delayed. Zeke needed help; for his own sake as well as his guardians.

Desmond's first order of business was to gather whatever dry wood he could find. The sun was cresting over the ice walls, sending a wave cascading colors across the land. Hues of orange and red layered the ground as the last of the sunlight slowly creeped away from the trio.

Desmond brought back the last of the kindling he could find. His steps were slow and labored from exhaustion. Thought he didn't want Daxter to see him faltering, he hadn't the heart to care all that much at the moment.

"Are you okay?" A concerned Dax inquired.

Desmond chuckled, "I should be asking you that." He placed the kindling in a pyramid like stack, lighting the flame with a couple semi dry rocks. The warm embers were enough to calm his body, and content as he was with his work he took to looking after Zeke.

"How is he?"

"Not good. He passed out, probably from blood loss."

"What about that wolf we passed earlier, Eno was his name, right? Can't he help?"

"The only one with medical knowledge in his pack was crushed by a mudslide. He can do anything.." Desmond avoided eye contact from Zeke's sprawled out body, afraid that at any moment he would glance upon his body and see movement from his chest.

"Des.."

"I'll think of something." The conversation fell silent, list along the flames that locked hunting at the air. Pops from wet wood replaced it, and the thoughts Dealing had swirling around his head were pushed out. Thinking about nothing was a better option at this moment.

"I've been thinking.." Dax started.

"I know what you're going to say."

"Oh, reading minds are we?" Dax picked at his tooth absentmindedly.

"We'll leave tomorrow. Whatever beyond that ice wall, we will find out then."

Daxter wasn't so sure about the way Desmond had spoke about the uncharted land beeping those walls. After all, they had just migrated away from an icy tundra, filled with treacherous climate conditions, only to figure out that the very place they had JUST settled into had become a death trap as well. If there was one thing Daxter knew about his small companion, it was that he wasn't fond of running from death. And yet, in that very same sense.. He's been doing it his whole life.

 _That's why they call it courage, Dax._

"And what are you gonna do? Watch over me?"

Des shrugged his shoulders, "Yes. I do anyway, don't I?"

"Debatable." Dax smirked slyly, "You should sleep. You're paws are probably dying."

"Yeah, from the fleas that are eating you alive. You did most of the walking."

"Sure, and you did most of the worrying."

"Dax.. I'm not gonna argue." Desmond pulled some weeds out of the land that settled by a small rock by their campsite.

"Just eat this. It'll put you to sleep."

"How do you know what the stuff is?" Dax inquired, highly skeptical of where this was going.

"It's lavender. Do you smell that?" Desmond placed the herb against Daxter's nose, seeing the tiger to inspect the plant, if not to ease his mind.

"Uh.. No. You are _not_ drugging me this time."

"It'll help with your nightmares, Dax. Just let me slip it in-"

"Don't ever say that again please.."

"It'll help you." Desmond crumpled the leaves and mashed them as best he could. The aroma was sweet smelling to Daxter, who gazed at the weasel with uncertainty. He remembered what happened last time..

"Here. Just try this." Desmond raised his paw suggestively towards the scimitars muzzle. The aroma slammed his nose with the overwhelming scent. It didn't smell bad.. But that didn't mean it was good.

"I'm not eating that." Dax said defiantly, pushing the weasels paw away from his mouth.

"The stubbornness of tigers... It never ceases to amaze me. Fine, but I'm keeping watch."

"Why do you always have to keep watch?"

"Because when this sloth wakes up screaming in pain, what are you going to do to help him?"

Daxter's told Desmond that he didn't have an answer to that question. Either way, Dreaming would end up staying awake. He sighed in defeat, taking his eyes off the weasel to take solace in the flames.

His mind strayed. What occurred this day will never be forgotten, nor should it be. He had failed, as much as he hated to say it to himself. It can't be denied. Lara, Jack.. food for anything now. And Talos…

"Screw Talos.." Daxter said aloud.

"Yeah, screw him. I don't agree with what you did, but I have to say I'm proud that you did it. You're learning how to fight, Dax."

"I shouldn't have let him get a hold of Jack."

"Well, none of that could've been prevented. Besides, he was right. Without the cubs mother, I don't think you'll find any other saber around here willing to just pick it up and treat it as their own. Unless you want to take care of it."

Desmond threw more wood on the fire, pacing around it as the flames grew higher. Daxter caught a glimpse of small scars within his grey fur, almost camouflaged by the black streaks within his pelt.

"I would've taken it in."

Desmond looked at him, a sepulchral frown stretched across his face. He tossed a small stick he had in his hand into the flames, where it was engulfed and devoured.

"That's not how it works."

"It worked with me, why not someone else?"

"You were never supposed to survive. I took you in knowing that I couldn't help you." Desmond walked over to Zeke and pressed the back of his paw to the child's forehead.

"He's got a fever. He's burning up."

"What do you mean I wasn't supposed to live?" By his tone the weasel could've sworn that the school was offended.

"Oh, come on, Dax. A weasel? Caring for a tiger?"

"Stranger things, right?"

"How do you think you managed? I brought you rabbits, sure but when you started to blow up they weren't enough. I couldn't help you, and yet you survived. By yourself or some other force I don't know but I can tell you it isn't natural."

Daxter perked his ears, "Other force?"

Desmond wanted his paw, "Just.." his attempt at speaking fell flat. His paw fell back to his side, unable to find a way to communicate his point to the still young scimitar.

"Just don't be disappointed. That's all I have to say. Our next step is to find Xeke help, then we go find your sister."

"Right.." Dax laid his head on top of his paws, which were crossed above the cool dirt. "Desmond, who was that girl?"

"Don't even think about it."

"Dax scrunched his face, annoyed. "I'm not some horndog looking to get some. Besides, she's a wolf and it-"

"Wouldn't be natural, I know. We've talked about this. Look, you can fall in love with whoever you want. It doesn't matter what others think. In the end, they're just looking for love as well, so let them search."

"... You still haven't told me that story about-"

"It was one time." Desmond mumbled.

"And you didn't know?"

"Of course I knew. That would've been one manly woman! It's just..I had one too many fermented berries. I wasn't thinking, and…"

"You mated a guy."

"It.. Well..I.."

Dax shrugged, "I'm not gonna judge you for it. I was just looking to get it out of you." He chuckled.

"I was satisfied. It happened, I moved on."

"What was his name?"

Desmond thought for a moment. The revelation hit him like a mammoth. "Oh man..I don't even know his name.."

"You mated a male and didn't even get his name!?" Daxter rolled into his back, laughing heartily at the story. To him it seemed the deeper it got, the more ridiculous it seemed.

"I probably did, I was just drunk. You don't think about these things when you're drunk during mating season!"

"How was it?"

"I'm not telling you that."

Dax wheezed, having ridded himself of all air in his body during his laughing fit. Though he found it annoying more than anything, Desmond found himself glad that after such a tragedy, the boy was enjoying himself.

"Come on Desmond, show me your groove, let's see that mating dance!" He fell into another fit of laughter at the thought.

"I mean, looking back it is pretty ridiculous." Desmond shared a chuckle with him.

"How did you two even meet?"

"I.. We just sort of bumped into each other." The weasel threw another stick into the fire.

"I'll say."

"Oy vey…" Desmond grumbled in disgust at the comment. "Alright alright, don't wake up Zeke. He's-"

The sound of gurgling broke the commotion, leaving both animals silent. Desmond was the first to spring into action, running over to Zeke's side. The sloth was still alive, but unresponsive to his voice.

"Dax, help me push him onto his side."

"What's he doing?" The scimitar asked with a shaky voice.

"He's trying to puke, if we don't get him onto his side he'll choke."

Desmond positioned himself by Zeke's head, gripping the sloth by his neck fur, Daxter used his head to push the sloth onto his side, slow enough to allow the weasel to keep up. Without warning, the gurgling turned into a sharp heaving as Zeke vomited onto the ground.

"That's it, Zeke. Just like that, deep breaths." Desmond encouraged the sloth, gently stroking the top of his head while placing a paw against his forehead.

Another barrage left the sickened mammal, forced out of him involuntarily by his own body.

"Good Zeke..Good Zeke…"

"Uh.. Not so good, Des." Daxter backed away from the scene, overwhelmed by the smell. Desmond glanced at the ground to find a thick red liquid glinting by the fire.

Zeke was puking blood. The sloth, exhausted by sleep deprivation and hunger, moaned as he slumped onto his back, breathing heavily to catch his breath. "Thank you." Was all he said, once again succumbed to his dreams, thankfully unaware of his current condition.

Daxter stared at the blood, "We can't help him.."

Desmond shook his head, "No. We can't."

"So what do we do?"

The weasel looked upon Zeke with somber eyes, crossing his arms as he always did when he needed a moment to think.

"We comfort him."

 **XXII**

Dawn broke. Daxter awoke with a start, scanning the camp to ensure the were still there. It was some dream he had, and in it, his sister. Una.

Desmond was asleep as well, leaning comfortably against Daxter's belly to warm his back during the cool night. His arms were sprawled out, one on vacation Daxter's hind leg and the other against his back. He was snoring, which was a good indication of deep sleep.

Daxter's eyes strayed to the unmoving form to his left. Zeke was laying on the ground in the same position since last night. He would've thought it normal.. If his chest was moving.

The tiger jumped to his feet, anxiety welling in his chest. Desmond's head hit the ground, a rude awakening.

"What? What? Dax what's wrong?"

Daxter didn't reply. He cautiously made his way over to Zeke until he was standing over the child. His mouth was stained with small amounts of blood that trailed down his chin. Small droplets dried into his chest fur. Dax placed his paw on Zeke's chest, looking for signs of breath.

He found none.

"No.." Desmond murmured. Dax, understanding of the situation, attempted one last time to wake the sloth, pushing against it's flank with his head. The body slumped back into position, with no sign of life to be found.

They lost him.

"W-what do we do now?" Daxter sought out Desmond's voice, both shocked and saddened by the loss. It was obvious to the weasel that he wasn't taking it well.

Desmond sighed, gathering his thoughts during the sensitive moment.

"We bury him. Then we go find your sister."

They did. A small rock stood atop the gravesite, the word "ZEKE" was scratched crudely into it using Daxter's claw. The two said their goodbyes, and continued their journey.

 _We survived. We lived. That's all that matters now._

 **Chapter 2 is complete! Their story has been told, but how will the herd react? And what will happen next?**

 **Authors note: This will be my last update for about 4 months. I hope you enjoy the chapter, and there will be many more in store for you readers. :)**


	10. Live Together (Ch3) Pt 1

**I'm back with another chapter! Enjoy!**

Chapter 3: " _Live Together"_

 **Part I**

 **I**

The silence overtook the cave, enveloping the group in it's deafening quietness as the herd attempted to gain their thoughts. It was a humbling silence, allowing Desmond to breath in a deep, relaxing breath after finishing the tale. Beside him, Daxter was already asleep, dreaming away in whatever lands lay in store for him. Desmond placed a paw on him, gently patting his back as he released the breath, lost in his thoughts.

Ellie immediately took notice. "You care for him." Her eyes gleamed with familiarity.

"Very much so." Desmond responded, his voice echoing throughout their shelter. It resonated to the she-moth a sensible attachment of sorrow, or was it perhaps the echo of melancholy, shadowing itself as a respondent entity within his hidden trepidation?

"You know," she started, "I remember being raised by possums. It was weird at first, but I was too young to know what was going on."

Desmond turned his attention to her. "I take it you lost your family?"

"I don't know what happened to them. One moment I was traveling through ice and snow and the next I was lost in a blizzard."

The weasel stared into the flames. "They loved you as one of their own?"

"The possums? Absolutely." Ellie replied with a gentle smile. Hey time suggested fondness of her memory.

"So you two are on a wild goose chase to find his sister?" Diego inquired with an almost accusatory tone. It rubbed Desmond the wrong way, but he brushed it off.

"Yes." He spoke calmly, undertones of confidence and dedication weaved through his words.

"How do you know she's alive?" Ellie asked.

"I don't." The she-moths expression turned slightly sullen. Desmond sighed, "His determination is… Unwavering. He believes a lot more than me."

Ellie remained silent, and he continued. "Daxter changed after our encounter with the elder scimitar. Now, instead of finding a new home we're searching for a female scimitar _rumored_ to be alive. Not exactly optimal.." his paws brushed the fur on his head. He felt as though none believed him, but a gentle smile from Ellie pushed those thoughts away.

"So… Where are you heading now?"

Desmond considered the question, thinking about his answer carefully. He shot a gaze over to the tiger resting beside the bull mammoth.

"North." His eyes met Diego's, a flash of Hazel came to view as the flames began to die out. The weasel glimpsed outside, averting the sabers piercing gaze. He could almost feel the animal read his thoughts. He didn't like it.

The sun glazed over distant mountains, providing light for life to wake. Outside birds began to sing, a soft ambience echoing throughout the treetops.

"And what if you do end up finding her?" Ellie asked. "What will you do?"

Desmond shook his head slightly, "We'll deal with that then."

The mammoth left it at that. An awkward silence took over. A sudden stir alarmed Desmond, and he turned to find the sleeping form behind him stretching, releasing several groans accompanied by pops escaping his body. The boy yawned, revealing sharp, white teeth protruding from his mouth. He glanced around the cave, quickly locking onto the dying embers that glinted in the cave.

"Uh.." he spoke softly, "Didn't mean to fall asleep on you."

Ellie chuckled, "It was cute."

Dax turned his gaze towards the entrance, "It's daylight..we should get moving." He stood up, leaving Desmond to wonder just what it was that made him seem so… ambitious. He would ask about it later.

"Do you know where you're going?" Sid asked.

"Not really, but I have a hunch."

A lie. _Sort of.._ the weasel decided to stay silent. His companion appeared to know what he was doing, for reasons he wouldn't interfere with.

Daxter padded silently to the cave entrance, allowing the warm air to beat on his face. It was muggy and hot out. _Perfect day to go for a nice swim…_ he smiled with a sadness in his face that Desmond had known.

Desmond took his place on the scimitars back. "Good luck on your endeavors."

Ellie waved, but the rest of the herd remained silent. As they left, Diego eyed the path they took, pondering to himself the validity of the story he just heard. The mammoth beside him laid still, eyes locked on the entrance, watching as well. Diego knew he was allowing the two to get their distance before they head out. Safety at this point was his only concern, something Diego respected.

There was something else though.. Something that picked at his mind about the queer encounter. Normally he would have engaged another predator that dared get close, but when it came to Dax..

Diego couldn't place it. What was it he felt..

"What's the matter, Diego?"

The saber turned to find his mammoth friends eyes locked upon him. It wasn't difficult to realize that he'd been staring for a while, and so to avoid any more unwanted questions he shook his head.

"It's nothing, Manny."

 **II**

It was hot. Very hot. The air beat down on Daxter's face like a mammoth's trunk. He felt a bit lightheaded from it. He was dehydrated, and yet pressed on.

"You told them everything?" He asked Desmond, who was taking in the sun as he spread himself out on the scimitars back.

"You passed out, leaving me to do the telling. Had you been the one to talk, perhaps some things could've been left out." Desmond spoke with an undertone of annoyance.

"I was tired." Dax sighed.

"I could tell."

"Well, did the saber say anything to you?"

Desmond considered the question, noting Daxter's sudden interest in the saber. "He told me you looked familiar. He didn't seem to take that much interest in you though."

"I look familiar?"

"Don't ask me, kiddo. I'm not sure who he was referring to. This seems to be the pattern as of late." Desmond said, absentmindedly tracking the cloud formations above him.

"You don't find it weird that he's traveling with a herd?" The scimitar inquired.

Desmond shook his head. "No more than I would find it odd that I basically fathered a scimitar cat."

"Good point. Still, what do you think caused it?"

"You dwell on this stuff too much."

Daxter held upon his face a small smirk, "One of my faults, I guess."

"And you don't think it's a bit much?" Desmond asked.

"It helps me, thinking. Sometimes I would rather be lost in my own thoughts." He replied, frowning. "Sometimes its the silence that allows us to heal."

"It also harms you, my boy. Isolation is a dangerous ally. You've been pretty distant with me at times, it makes me worry."

"I just want to find Una." Was all the tiger replied with. His head hung low, and Desmond figured it was time to give him a taste of reality.

The weasel sighed deeply. "Dax.. If we don't find her.. if she isn't-"

"Don't you dare say it. Not until we know for sure." Daxter interrupted him. Hidden from view, tears welled up for but a moment, only to be lost. The silence was deafening, as Desmond surmised that either outcome would come with consequences. Should Una be dead, it's incontrovertible that Daxter will be thrown into a bout of depression. Should the contrary occur, and Una be found alive and his pack still intact then it begs the question..

 _What will happen to me?_

The weasel sat up. _What a selfish thought.._

Such questions can be found in the purest of hearts. It occurred to him that one of the most heart breaking things about life is that no matter how you meet, or what you do with your life, the people you travel with always end up leaving. Loneliness.. death, hatred, even love. All are factors in the equation. This was something Desmond saw from the beginning.

The roar of a distant waterfall broke Desmond from his thoughts. _Water.._. Not just one, but three, all connecting to propel the water to a single point downstream. The waters battered the rocks endlessly, and they remained. Desmond felt a coolness come over him. It was then, at the edge that Daxter brought them to a halt.

"I guess we just… Use the rocks?"

Desmond hopped off of the scimitars back. He landed with a dull, quiet thud. The weasel glanced around at his surroundings. A downed tree lay uprooted to the right of the duo, the result of a bad storm no doubt. It crossed to higher ground, suspended precariously above the water. Although it appeared to be the best choice, the mist above the water had dowsed it..

Desmond grinded his teeth, "Alright. We're gonna use your claws for this, Dax." He pointed to the tree above them. "Think you can handle it?"

Dax lowered his ears, "Uhh..I think the rocks would be better.."

"They're too slippery. If you fall there's nothing to stop you from going over."

"Well.." Dax bit his lip, anxious about the thought.

"You're telling me you can cliff dive, but you can't cross this log. It's not even that high up. Let's go."

"This is different." Dax scrunched his face, glowering at Desmond. He knew what was coming.

"Fine."

 **III**

The climb was a bit treacherous, but Daxter made sure to take in the sights before continuing his mission. Beyond the waterfall lay an endless view of greenery. The trees extended for miles, illuminating a vibrant green by the near blinding light cast from the Sun.

"Focus."

"It's beautiful." Dax replied.

"You'll be laying in it if you don't pay attention. Just use your claws to balance yourself. You'll be fine."

Dax smirked. "Such confidence in me." He said with an exaggerated accent. Desmond groaned and muttered some incomprehensible words that Daxter determined to be an insult. It only encouraged him.

"So.."

Desmond cut him off before he could say more. "Just go."

Daxter placed his right paw on the wood. It was wet. Very wet. He applied pressure, feeling the wood start to push in on itself. In his chest grew a welling fear of what will happen next, but a small pat on his back drew him out of it.

"It's alright. Claws, Dax."

He contracted his claws on his right paw, gripping the wood with all of his strength. His movement was stiff at first, cautious of the raging water below him. The left paw came out. Then the rear legs.

Dax breathed deeply inward. He felt like he was dying. Well…

His gaze shifted once again. His eyes locked on to a very strange formation laid upon the water. The rocks, a very dark grey from the pounding waters formed a general sharp point that faced the waterfall.

"Oh, I don't like this…"

"Come on, big guy. Halfway there. Just keep pushing."

He did. Dax found his balance amongst his uncertainty. He took a step forward, then another, slowly making progress to the other side, where an opening to more forestry lies in wait for exploration.

 _Alright, just keep going.._

 _ **SNAP!**_

Daxter heart sank. "Of course it's rotten… Why wouldn't it be?"

"This is the part where we move faster, Dax." Desmond exclaimed, keeping an eye on the split in the log behind the duo.

Daxter was frozen. Beneath him lay nothing but sharp, jagged rocks that could skewer a wild boar, let alone an adolescent scimitar. He swallowed hard.

"Dax, move!" Another snap echoed through his ears before he felt the log depress. The middle had collapsed beneath his weight, and would break at any moment. His breathing became ragged as adrenaline rushed through his body. He counted in his mind.

 _One…Two...Three...four…_

 _ **Crack!**_

He sprang into action, leaping over the broken log with his powerful hind legs. Desmond hung on for dear life as the scimitar was now airborne. The half in front of them had started it's fall, caught only by a couple branches. Daxter dug into it and remained still, watching the other half fall into the water, carried off the other side until it disappeared.

"Uh.." he glanced down to see a weasel grasping his tail, swaying lightly against the wind. "This sucks."

"Can you climb up? Use my fur." He felt a tug, and then several more as Desmond cautiously climbed onto Daxter's back, gripping to his short mane fur. There they dangled, perched above razor sharp rocks ready to kill them both.

Daxter began to make his way up, digging his claws as deep as they would go into the rotten wood. The water weight was making it difficult to maneuver, but he managed. As he reached the top, he gripped the Earth and attempted to pull himself up. As he did so, his rear legs kicked outward, propelling himself forward onto the ground.

"That was a dumb idea." He said, panting. He rolled onto his back, swaying back and forth to scratch his back. Desmond came up beside him and patted his chest, gazing into the forest ahead of them.

"It could've gone better, but we're here. And alive."

"Whatever you say." Dax responded as he sat down on his haunches. The woodline, lined with oaks, presented the only path to take. Daxter felt a weariness come upon him. He wasn't sure why, or how for that matter, but he knew that something lied within the unexplored territory.

"I think- OOF!" Daxter didn't have time to think. Before he could react he felt a claw around his throat, and a body pinning him down. His head collided with a rock embedded in the ground, causing his head to bleed.

"Oh, that's three concussions."

"Dax!"

It was another scimitar, a bit larger than Dax. A male, much older, sporting three scars along his right eye, which appeared to be of no use. His fur was the same color as Daxter's, with his underbelly colored a slightly greyish color.

"Who are you!?" He bellowed. Daxter growled, unwilling to give an answer. The scimitar above him pushed down, applying pressure to his head. He groaned, a pained expression told Desmond all he needed to know.

"Take it easy!" He exclaimed, paws out. He took a step forward, prompting the beast to press down further. Des stopped, contemplating his next move carefully.

"Tell me who you are!" Dax saw his chance, and took it. He twirled his body so his rear legs were beneath his assailants belly, and kicked outward. As soon as he was cleared, Dax sprang to his feet and backed up to Desmond.

The older male struggled to get back up, and Daxter quickly found out why. Along his rear right leg, a deep gash wound was pouring blood. As he regained his footing, the struggle to raise himself up seemed profound.

Desmond patted his rear leg, "Dax..pin him. He's too weak." The younger male obeyed, pouncing on the wounded animal and pinning him to the ground rather quickly.

He didn't struggle. His breathing was heavy, but it soon became no more than a raspy wheezing that Daxter found to be pitiful.

"Give me your name…" he looked up at Desmond, who gave him a nod.

"Or I'll cut your throat."

He growled, but quickly abstained, defeated as he was.

"Sam." He said hoarsely.

For a moment Daxter's heart felt like it skipped a beat. That name.. It was.. Familiar.

"Who is your pack leader?" He asked. His voice softened, but was no less threatening.

Sam winced, curling his lips back he snarled at the smaller male.

"Well? Who is it?" Desmond crossed his arms, silent as he watched.

"Who's asking?" He snarled back.

The young male debated whether to give him an alias or his actual name. In his head, he knew just who this scimitar was, but he had to be sure. He took the risk. "Daxter. My name is Daxter."

Sam stared at the younger male, a look of disbelief crawled across his face. "A-Art." He said with a hushed tone.

Dax felt his hackles raise. He released the male, who lay unmoving on the ground. After a few moments, Sam raised himself back up with shaky legs. Time it seems, has not been good to him.

"You're bleeding heavily."

"I'll take a look at your leg. I'm sure I can help." Sam however, didn't seem very interested. His eyes- eye, remained fixed upon the boy.

Daxter took a step forward, "Who did this to you-"

"If you really are who you say you are.. who was your father?" Sam interjected.

Dax bit his lip, "Jack."

Sam's expression turned dark. He avoided any further contact as the information hit him. He sat down on his haunches and stared at the ground, mouth agape. Then, with sudden interest he raised his head, his dead eye gleaned from the sunlight, "Why have you come?"

Dax felt his heart race, "To find my sister, I heard she-"

Sam shook his head, "The girl you once knew as your sister is dead." Disheartenment seeped from his throaty voice. His ears folded back, avoiding eye contact with the younger male.

Daxter was taken aback by the comment, "What?"

Dax fell back, defeat washing over him. Was all of this for nothing? Had he spent all of these moons wandering aimlessly to find nothing? Dax could feel tears well up in his eyes, he felt like he had failed. It was a familiar feeling, one he hadn't experienced since he was a small cub.

A paw on his shoulder, and Daxter locked eyes with the only companion he's had. "I'm sorry, kiddo."

He sniffled, "She can't be dead.." He looked back at the older male, who himself seemed to be beating himself up about telling Dax the news. "Where is the rest of the pack?"

"Listen.. I'm not gonna last much longer like this, son. I'll allow the weasel there to look at my injury, and I'll take ya there." He shook his head, "Art is gonna kill you." His sentence was interrupted by a coughing fit. Several wheezy breaths came out of the older male in an attempt to catch his breath.

"Why?" Dax inquired. Desmond knew what he was thinking. He didn't like it. Then again, it wasn't his choice. It was that thought that made him ask whether Daxter himself had a choice in the matter. Could the boy really just up and leave?

Daxter felt a raindrop fall upon the crest of his head. He gazed up at he sky, dark clouds overhead would mean some heavy rainfall. _Typical_ , he thought to himself.

"I'll tell ya everything...let's just get to some shelter first. There's a hole behind the waterfall furthest to the left." Sam pointed to a smaller formation of rocks that cornered the water, "It's just up there, not hard to get too, but difficult to spot."

"Let me assess your wound first-"

"We can do it once we're safe from the rain. Come on."

Daxter turned to find Desmond walking up to him. He seemed cautious of the new findings, a notion that Daxter couldn't figure out, though he made sure to give the weasel a lick along his back to show his appreciation. Desmond smiled, "Come on you big lug."

 **IV**

Diego was very aware of the mammoths presence, especially now. As they traveled, Manny kept a close eye on Ellie and the possum twins, but Diego caught him glancing at the tiger every now and then. It was a look of concern, masked by the attention he gave Ellie, who was currently talking to him about what it was like to be a possum. He wrapped his trunk around hers, a gesture she reciprocated. It was a push, Manny was still new to showing his emotions around her. Love, romance. He was getting used to it. Diego was happy for him

 _Smooth move.._ Diego thought. The tiger himself didn't fancy the company of females; never having felt the need to acquire a significant other. Soto would always have the pick of the litter, choosing the best looking female for him to mate with. And when in their company, He would question just what it was that a female could give him that he doesn't already have… Cubs? Sure, but he didn't feel it was time yet. He had food, shelter, water, and the company of friends.

And now he has a family.

But this kid.. it was strange. He felt… normal. Just seeing another tiger caused a flood of memories to surge through his head. Soto.. his dad.. Some memories were good, others not so much. It had been so long that he paid no mind to the differences he had with the herd, they blended into one unit.

"Hey Diego?" Sid's voice broke the silence, much to the tigers dismay. Whatever Sid had to say, it probably wasn't important. But he indulged the sloth.

"Yes, Sid?" _This oughta be good._

"Back at the cave, when we met that saber, you got pretty quiet."

Diego didn't feel like answering. He flicked an ear, silently shaking off the question, but the sloth proved to be persistent on more than one occasion.

"Why?" He asked with an innocent tone. It was unlike him. Normally Sid would just blabber on about his feet hurting or how hot it is. But now, in this particular moment, Diego actually felt like he could speak.

"He reminds me of my old pack." Diego spoke almost begrudgingly. Sid gave the tiger a goofy smile, happy that he could get the moody animal to open up. Although it wasn't rare for the two to speak, most of their conversations end up being about menial things. They were like younger brothers, with Manny being their eldest. They would argue as such, and live just the same.

"I could tell…" Sid fell silent for a moment. "Diego?"

"Hm?"

"Have you thought about leaving? About going back to pack life?"

Diego perked his ears, "What made you bring that up?"

Sid gripped the back of his neck awkwardly, "Well.. Now that we know there are other tigers in the area-"

"You think I'm just gonna up and leave?" The tiger asked weather harshly. He debated whether to feel offended or angered by the comment.

"Well.. they are your own species, and I know it must be hard to hunt on your own-"

"Sid." Diego interrupted him, a dull tone emanated from his throat.

"Yeah?"

"I'm not going anywhere. He just brought back some memories. That's all." Diego offered the sloth a small smirk, one which Sid greatly appreciated, and showed his gratitude by offering his own.

"You know, when you tried to kill us, we thought you were a jerk." Eddie spoke, hopping onto Diego's back. Crash followed closely behind.

"Yeah, total butthead." Eddie giggled, high fiving his brother.

"You two attacked us!"

"You started it!" Eddie pointed a finger at Sid, "Your smell made me gag!"

"You had no reason to attack us, my smell is not a problem!" Sid exclaimed, pointing a dull claw back at the possum.

"Who told you that, the hog we passed?"

Sid stopped, a look of shock on his face, "How did you know that?"

Eddie jumped on his shoulder, "We know everything.."

Diego rolled his eyes, even more annoyed. The two possums began engaging in a slap fight on his back, rolling around until Eddie fell off.

"Victory!" He shouted as Eddie wrapped his tail around his brothers neck, pulling him off of Diego. He padded along the trail, ignoring the two. He was still aware of the fact that did was traveling beside him which, aside from the smell wasn't troubling to him.

Quiet. That's what he wanted.

It didn't last long. Diego's ear twitched at the sound of a branch bending to his right. He helped abruptly, turning to scan the area. A familiar scent invaded his nose..

"Diego, what do you smell?" Manny whispered, creeping up behind the tiger. A roar and a flash of orange was all he saw coming towards him. Four forms running full speed.

"Tigers!" Diego backed towards Sid, who attempted to flee. Diego knew the tactic. It was an ambush.

"Run that way! They'll corner us!" He directed everyone to flee left. They obeyed, and a few seconds later four more came out of the bushes. They weren't giving chase, knowing that they've been duped.

The remaining four was led by a female. Slim build, grey pelt, and silver eyes. She gave a command to the rear man, and he moved to the right. An obvious attempt to cut them off. Another command to the left man told Diego that she was attempting to create a death funnel. They would try to barrel them in so no one can move.

It won't work. With a rugged swiftness Diego used his bodyweight to knock the male to his right off of his feet. He turned left, and zoomed in on the other tiger attempting to jump Manny.

"Manny!" He bellowed. The mammoth quickly turned, spotting his assailant. He swung his massive tusks at the tiger, who dodged and attempted to jump him. Manny slowed himself down considerably, forcing the tiger to fall into the group.

It stumbled, and Diego sprung the trap. He jumped the scimitar and using his own body pinned it to the ground.

"Jax! Get him off you!" the female growled.

"Rei, Run! You can't take these mammoths, we miscalculated their numbers." Jax replied.

"Not so fast!" Diego struggled to keep his weight on top of the male, "Back off of this herd, and I'll release him." He studied the female, hoping she would submit. In reality none of them were up for a fight, especially not since they've been traveling for hours now. He lowered his paw down to the pinned tigers throat, unsheathing a claw.

"I have no problem with-"

"Stop! Let him go." Diego let a small smile escape, happy that they've been able to avoid conflict… For the moment. He did so, and Jax ran back to Rei's side. For a moment there was silence, both parties eyeing each other.. Watching their movements. Tensions were high at the moment.

"You wandered into our territory." Rei said.

"No one's claimed these parts. I picked up no scent."

"That's the point, tiger. Tactics, but you already know that."

 _Mud..of course. Smart, and pretty._ The male smirked again, "Pretty smart for a northern runt."

Her face stayed, stoicism etched across it. "That's very funny."

 _Nice one, Diego.._

She turned her attention to the mammoth. "Traveling with a predator? Unusual." Manny was weary of the way she looked at him; almost like she was taking in every detail.

"He's our friend."

She eyed Diego once again. "I see. Couldn't fend for yourself, so you acquired a posse."

Diego growled, _She's good._ "More like I didn't care for my attachments." He said.

"You betrayed them?" She asked, raising her eyebrow in interest.

"It's complicated."

"Mhm." Rei responded. She turned to her compatriots who finally caught up with her. "You're in our territory. Leave. I won't ask again."

"We're heading west. Don't worry, you won't see us again." Manny responded. He turned to Diego, who gave him a nod.

"West?" Rei's voice responded with a sparked interest in the matter, making Diego suspicious. Ellie wrapped her trunk around Manny's, unsure.

"Yeah, why? What's out west?" Diego inquired. He took a step in front of Manny, still weary of the situation. He wasn't taking any chances.

"You guys are really lost, aren't you.. there's another pack to the West. They rival our own. There's been a lot of blood shed in this forest…" Rei trailed off, glancing at the sky. Her pack mates kept their eyes on the group, and Manny noted a peculiar detail; that not once have they looked away.

"You'll be heading straight for them."

"So we'll head south." The mammoth suggested.

"You could. But there resides a wolf pack led by Boone and his goonies. Imbeciles.. they've been stealing kills from our territory. Ever since the flood most of the big game have migrated. I guess Boone thought a formal invitation was out of play at that point. Stupid dogs."

"We know. We came from there." Ellie replied.

"You survived? Interesting.. So that boat was real?" Rei shifted, breathing deeply as if to relax herself. Perhaps she was more comfortable with the group. Perhaps not.

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"Word gets around." Rei replied dryly, scratching her forearm.

"So we can't go west, and we can't go south. Where then do we go?"

"Back the way you came. You'll be passing through the Milestone Ridge it you keep your Western bearing. Right now you're on the cusp of Locke's territory. He is the leader of our rival pack. He won't hesitate to kill you."

"Why are you telling us this?" Manny asked.

Rei ignored the question. "If you value your lives, then you'll leave. Heed my warning."

They did. The herd backed away from the scimitars, wanting no more involvement. Diego stayed behind to ensure their safety, pulling security from the rear. His eyes stayed glued to Rei's.

"What?" She asked.

"You look just like her, the scimitar that kid was talking about." Diego responded.

"What kid?" She raised an eyebrow, confused.

Diego opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Instead, he stood up, glanced at the female and then turned to catch up to the herd.

Rei stood still. A ghostly gaze held on to the retreating tiger. _You look just like her…_

"Rei?" The scimitar to her left flank advanced, noticing his leaders still form. "We should go back."

Rei didn't move. The scimitar knew she was contemplating something.

"You think he's still alive."

"After all this time. That saber told me I fit the description that this boy told him about, Cortez." Rei felt a pressure rise in her chest. She couldn't place it, but something told her that she was right.

"Could be a coincidence." Cortez looked to the scimitar to her right. "This could be the turn of the tide, Jax."

"Now?" Jax shook his head, "It seems like a stretch… but one can hope."

Rei gazed at the ground, "Do you think he's still alive, Cortez?"

Cortez sighed, facing forward to avert the grey feline. A small breeze brushed his coat, and a glance upward revealed dark clouds that blanketed the sun.

"One can only hope."

"We have to find him. It's not even midday, which means, unless they were traveling throughout the night, this herd saw him not too far from here." Rei surmised. She stood up, "We'll keep guard, search the perimeter. He's got to be around here.."

"And what about Art? He'll kill the kid right on the spot!" Jax retorted.

"You've known Daxter just as long as anyone else in the pack. Their allegiance lies with him." Rei continued to stare at the herd as they retreated. These thoughts were troubling, and brought back feelings she hasn't felt since.. Well she failed to remember at all.

"It's treasonous."

"Don't tell me you haven't carried private, traitorous thoughts of your own. I know you, Jax. I'm not dumb. You want to just as much."

"And what of Locke's pack? They still follow Jack's ways." Jax shook his head, hard pressed to believe how deep this situation has gotten.

"All the more reason to find him." Rei said quietly. Jax figured she was talking to herself.

"If Art finds founds out about this-"

"We keep it silent," Rei interrupted Cortez, knowing of the consequences. "It's imperative."

Jax and Cortez both fell silent, agreement sown from the quietude of the trio.

 **V**

Sam held within himself a masked gratitude that only Daxter could see. Through the elders eyes the younger male saw many things. Most would see nothing at all. As Desmond finished applying a paste he had made from several herbs he acquired, Daxter didn't water a second when it came to gathering information.

Desmond placed his paw on the wound, now covered with the paste. Sam winced at his touch, but was thankful that the bleeding had stopped. His eyes glanced back at Dax, who was sitting towards the entrance. The cave wasn't as big as he thought, with the very back being only a few feet away.

"I suppose a cordial "Hello" is in order?" Sam jested, fucking a half smile at the young male.

"I'll take it." Daxter got up and walked to sit beside his old pack mate. Sam was his uncle, one of many, though he wasn't so sure how many were left.

"What happened.." he asked.

"Straight to the point, eh?" Sam coughed, "You have changed, son."

He gazed towards the waterfall that roared ahead of them. "He planned it all. I had my suspicions but I never acted on them. I was too cowardly." He began, "Locke, your father's second hand knew what was going to happen, but your father wasn't one to listen. That was his mistake."

"And who helped him?"

"Hmm.." Sam growled lowly, agitation still vibrant from the memory.

"The pack was divided. Art's hunting group were with him all the way, so that made six right there. Your uncle's Neo and Crash were his leads. They spied on your father, waiting until the moment was right.."

Dax inquired further, "And what of my mother?"

"That's something you'll have to take up with Locke himself. I have no knowledge on that topic. The last time I saw your mother was the day before it happened."

A tear trailed down his scarred face. "I thought you were dead, boy. We all thought you had fallen victim to the atrocities that Art had committed."

Daxter shook his head, "I'm a ghost, remember?"

Sam let out a soft chuckle, "Aye, that you are my boy. Your mother- as far as I can remember at least... she used to ramble on about it. The pack was always jumpy about the idea."

"Superstition does that." Desmond interjected.

"I don't think you realize just how coincidental this superstition was.." Sam responded, shifting his position.

Desmond crossed his arms, pondering in his mind the peculiarity of the felines obsession with the supernatural. It was far fetched, and with little evidence to back up such claims he couldn't help but wonder... how is it that such creatures can follow their credence so blindly?

The more he thought about it, however..

It wasn't all _that_ implausible. considering his own circumstances, Desmond wondered just how it was that they even made it this far. Daxter was now almost fully grown, and raised by a rodent? And the flood... could it have been mere chance that this boat had been placed so perfectly at the end of the road, with no knowledge of its creation by the other animals in the valley?

"Desmond-" Sam called out. The weasel broke out of his musings, focusing now on the lounging scimitar, who was attempting to keep pressure off of his wounded leg.

"He is the only one who can reclaim the pack. It's his rightful place, should he so choose." His gaze met Daxters, "You can choose to walk away, and never return, my boy. we will live on exactly as we are-"

"Which doesn't seem to be much. You don't seem very happy about the way things are being run."

Sam sighed, "My brother leads the other half of the pack. After the attack, Art killed off all who wouldn't follow his rule. He gathered every member of the pack and made it clear he wasn't playing. Most of Jack's followers are gone. After the massacre, Locke took the remaining survivors and left in the night. He was lucky.."

"Where are they?" Daxter inquired.

"It isn't just a stroll through the woods. They'll kill you on the spot if they don't recognize you. Shouldn't be a problem though, what with those eyes."

Dax looked away from the elder, "You never did like them. You know... the stillborn had green eyes. Yours were originally blue when you were a small cub. Then your mother took you to see that Realm Speaker. A crazy old coot she was.. but in the end she was right."

"Realm Speaker?" Desmond questioned. This was getting too weird.

"She could see things..and hear things others couldn't. Some believed she saw nothing at all." Sam replied.

"Like... dead people?"

"Yes. And more."

"What about me? What did she tell my mother?" Daxter queried.

"Nadia wasn't holding back. You're aunt was the Realm Speaker. She told your mother about your birth, and about the attack days before it happened. She was right about everything...including her own death."

"Wait.. my aunt was the Realm Speaker? We found her back in the valley, while we were attempting to escape." Dax's ears perked, "It would explain how she found us."

"Yes, she was kicked out after the attack. She claimed it was old age, but I knew the real reason." Sam winced slightly as he shifted his position again.

"What was it?"

Sam narrowed his eyes, looking at the younger tiger with vehement eyes. "She saw Art's death by your paw."

"This is a bit much..." Desmond retorted.

"You mean.."

"Yes. whether you like it or not, you are destined to kill that man. The boy is gone, Daxter. He's dead. It's time for you to show your teeth, and remind yourself of who you are."

Desmond stood by his companion, worry welling up in his chest. "I have a very bad feeling about this.. Dax, are you sure this is what you want?"

The scimitar glanced downward at his friend and ally, a soft smile escaping his lips. It was reassurance, but of what remained unclear. He said nothing, but brought his head down and nuzzled the weasel, who patted the top of his head. A small purr emanated from Daxters chest, "I'm glad you're here with me."

 **Boom! Hello! Finally got to upload a chapter, after several months of doing nothing but training for deployment. Things are gonna start to heat up here.. what will happen to the herd? And who is Rei? Work on the next chapter begins immediately!  
**


	11. Concerning Jack

_Concerning Jack_

 _Alpha_. The word resounded within Locke's mind as he glanced over at the thickly built scimitar. Jack was his alpha. His leader. It was a role that commanded respect from those who followed him. The pack contained twenty-three scimitars, which was a rather large number. Locke came to be in his position not so long ago when, during his solo hunt a bull mammoth came through some brush and knocked him off his paws. His fate had been sealed, so he thought.

He remembered it clearly. Whether by pure coincidence or sincere intervention, he found himself amid a battle between Jacks pack and the mammoth that had assaulted him. Locke, after receiving a rather intense blow to the head from the throw had found out the mammoth had a calf with it, as well as a cow that it was fiercely attempting to protect. The calf ran, paying no attention to him as it brushed passed his leg during its attempt to flee. The small calf didn't get very far before three scimitars trapped it by a tree a few meters away.

Locke raised himself up, shaky legs quickly found solidity and in moments he was back in the action. He wasn't about to let an opposing pack get to his kill. One thing that Locke had notably gained confidence in was his ability to surprise his targets. He put it to good use, creeping up on the cows unsuspecting throat as it tried to ward off the three assailants that were cornering the calf.

As the cow lashed out, he used its exposed throat as a kill point. He lunged at it, burying his sharp teeth into the mammoth's jugular. He used his claws to clamp down on its body, riding the thrashing mammal that was clinging to life.

He was nearing success but found his grip to be weak. Scimitars weren't built to take down mammoths, but if such an animal was tactically inclined… with haste he dug his claws into the mammoth's right flank, now at the mercy of the giant mammals' thrashing. It reared itself to the left, causing Locke to lose his grip. The male scimitar was flung from the mammoth into a tree.

"Get up!" He felt a shoulder press on his own, and Locke found the strength to get back in the fight. His eyes met the other scimitars, and for a fleeting moment a strange sense of familiarity washed over him. Patches of blood stained his shoulder, not his own.

"Art, corner him! Leave the calf!" He bellowed. One of his other members, an older male turned away from the quivering calf. With a single nod he and the other two males returned to the what Locke perceived to be the leaders' side.

"You just let an easy meal get away!" Art stated, dodging a swipe from the cow.

"It's a child, Art. Leave it be!" The larger male commanded. Art growled but submitted to the alphas word. Two more scimitars jumped into the fight, as the cow bumped into a tree and stumbled. Its right flank had been exposed, and Art took the chance to jump on top of it, slashing at it with his deadly claws. It let out a pained trumpet, swinging its trunk wildly at the attackers.

Mere moments passed before the bull stopped moving. The pack drew itself upon the fallen prey, taking their fill. They ravaged the carcass, paying no attention to Locke, who decided to tend to his paw, having sustained a rather nasty puncture wound that he had not seen before.

Jack, having eaten his fill padded over to the male. Locke hadn't paid any attention, licking his paw to stop the bleeding when he felt the alpha's presence. He looked up to see Jacks eyes staring into his own. It was an awkward feeling, considering that just moments ago Locke was facing certain death at the tusks of a several ton mammoth.

"It doesn't look that bad." Jack commented lowly.

"I'll heal." Locke replied, rising to meet the other scimitar face to face. Jack cleared his throat, looking back at the pack which had almost completely devoured the animal.

"Art! Leave some for the outsider." He returned his gaze to the wounded male. "A gift for you. For helping us take this thing down."

Locke stared in confusion, "Why?"

Jack sat on his haunches, sighing softly, "I already told you."

"No. I mean why did you save me?" Locke inquired, stepping forward. Jack didn't tarry. Instead, the male tilted his head, as if contemplating his answer. Or, Locke suggested to himself that the scimitar was debating something.

"Should I not have?"

 _Good point..._ "Well, thank you for doing that, Jack."

Jack nodded, "You know… you look familiar to me. Like we've met before."

Locke shook his head slightly, shifting his gaze to the kill behind them. "Not likely. I don't normally travel this far into others territory. Let alone this being my first time hunting this area."

"Never thought about joining a pack?"

"Not particularly."

Jack nodded once again. He paused, glancing at the sky to witness the overcast glide above the treetops. A slight breeze passed through his fur, causing him to shudder the tiniest bit. "I feel as though you have your reasons, Locke."

It was spoken in a lighter tone. Comfortable… He seemed a bit more comfortable talking to the stranger now. Locke took notice.

"I'm bad luck."

"Superstition… you sound like my mate," he spoke, a soft chuckle escaping him. His smirk fell back to a frown, "The world has a way of making things seem more than what they are."

Locke didn't understand where the older male was going with this conversation. "I'm not one to question such things."

"You're a simple man, then."

"Not that simple." Locke replied.

"Hm." Was all Jack let out. He sat there for a moment, contemplation once again taking over the conversation. He breathed in, locking eyes on the lone scimitar. "If you don't wish to join my pack, I won't hold it against you. You can use our grounds for hunting as long as you stand by your word that you'll only take what you need."

 _Really trying to reel me in, aren't ya…_ The male thought for a moment, about this decision. "I owe you a life debt, Jack. I'm a man of my word. I'll agree to use your hunting grounds."

 **II**

Locke had found solitude to be of a more comforting entity. His lack of responsibility has given him a sense of freedom. It was tranquil, the idea of roaming freely was an idea that he had kept in the back of his mind ever since he was a cub. The chains of running with a pack had carried no interest in his mind. Alone for most of his life, the male scimitar found beauty in the noiselessness. It brought a lot of thought, ideas for what to do next.

Then he met Jack. Now, for what it was at least, Locke couldn't think of any reason to continue his lonesome trek to nowhere in particular. Why it was that the alpha of the pack just openly invited him was beyond him. But he knew this… debts had to be paid.

He never figured himself for one to believe in anything beyond conventionality. It wasn't natural. Until now the concept was mute, null and out of mind. So, what made him change his mind like that? What was it about this opportunity that made things seem so different? He proposed an idea…

"Jack."

The pack surrounded the two, faces of all kinds eyeing the duo, waiting to see what would occur.

"Yes?" The larger male replied to the outsider. He relaxed upon realizing who it was. "Locke, what brings you here?"

Locke waited a moment to reply, "I figured it would be rude to decline an open invitation."

"I knew you would join." Jack stated simply.

This comment caused the hairs on Locke's neck to stand up, unsure if it was a serious comment or a figure of speech at best. He chose his next words carefully to get an answer. "Like it was destiny, right?"

"No. You belong here, Locke. That much I knew. Now you have a role to fill, just like everyone else."


End file.
